Trump lashes out at 'self-righteous hypocrites'

WASHINGTON - Donald Trump is lashing out at the growing list of Republicans abandoning his candidacy, predicting that they're the ones who will lose.



Trump on Sunday tweeted: "So many self-righteous hypocrites. Watch their poll numbers - and elections - go down!"



Trump has also been re-tweeting a series of messages from supporters, including one that lashes out at "GOP traitors!" and says not supporting is voting for "destroying America."



Another says "'Republican leadership' should have only one job: Help elect the nominee we voted for, Donald J. Trump."

In a posting Saturday evening, Trump praised supporters who turned up at a party unity rally in Wisconsin - an event that Trump was disinvited to by House Speaker Paul Ryan. The rally was in Ryan's congressional district.

Rudy Giuliani says Trump is embarrassed by the airing of a tape in which Trump makes vulgar and predatory remarks about women.



But - in Giuliani's words - "it seems to me, we should move on."



The former New York City mayor tells ABC's "This Week" that Trump is "very, very embarrassed and contrite about it."



When asked whether Trump's comments described sexual assault, Giuliani said "that's what he's talking about." But Giuliani isn't sure whether Trump was exaggerating, as "some men" do.



Trump has faced a mass exodus of support in the wake of the release of crude video footage in which he brags about making unwanted sexual advances on women.

Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte says she favors Trump dropping out of the race.



The New Hampshire senator dropped her support for Trump on Saturday. She said she will write in Mike Pence, but initially stopped short of calling for Trump to step aside.



But when she was asked by a reporter Sunday if Trump stood step down, she said "I would support that."



Ayotte said recently released recordings of Trump making vulgar remarks about women are "fundamentally different" than his past comments. She said Trump is advocating assault, and that she wants her young daughter to know that she does not support the comments.



She says speaking out for her daughter's sake is "more important to me than winning any election." Ayotte is in a close race for re-election.

Republican senator Mike Lee says Republicans can't win the White House with Trump as their presidential nominee - and having him at the top of the ticket could drag down other Republicans.



Lee says both Trump and his backers can cement a lasting legacy if he were to step aside, allowing Republicans to find a candidate who can bring together all elements within the party and defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.



The Utah senator said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "we've got candidates who can do it. There's still time to do it, but we have to actually do it."

Donna Brazile - interim head of the Democratic National Committee - notes that some states have begun early voting and mailed absentee ballots with Trump's name on it. Brazile says attempts to change the ballots would be "very confusing" to voters.



She's suggesting on ABC's "This Week" that Democratic Party lawyers probably would fight any efforts by states to change the names on the ballot - if it came to that.