US election 2016: Republican divisions grow over Trump
32 minutes ago
From the section US Election 2016
http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-36962942
Fresh divisions are emerging within the US Republican Party over its presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Republican donor Meg Whitman has endorsed his rival Hillary Clinton, saying Mr Trump's "demagoguery" had undermined the national fabric.
Senior party activist Jan Halper-Hayes told the BBC she thought Mr Trump was "psychologically unbalanced".
In the latest controversy, Mr Trump has refused to support two senior figures in his own party.
In an interview for the Washington Post, he said he was "just not quite there yet" when asked if he would endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator John McCain, who are up for re-election in November. Both men have publicly criticised him.
Mr Trump's campaign has been marked by a series of controversial statements.
Ms Whitman, writing on Facebook, said that to vote Republican out of party loyalty alone "would be to endorse a candidacy that I believe has exploited anger, grievance, xenophobia and racial division".
"Trump's unsteady hand would endanger our prosperity and national security. His authoritarian character could threaten much more," the Hewlett-Packard executive said.
Image copyright AP
Image caption Meg Whitman is a senior Republican Party fundraiser and donor
Dr Halper-Hayes, vice-president of Republicans Overseas Worldwide, told the BBC's Today programme that she was "very concerned" about Mr Trump's behaviour, although she would not go so far as to endorse Mrs Clinton.
"I think there is an element of him that truly is psychologically unbalanced, and I feel very guilty for saying this because I'm a Republican and I want the Republican ticket to win," she said.
"But Donald is out of control right now and he's not listening to anyone."
Dozens of senior Republican Party figures have already said they would not vote for Mr Trump, including the party's 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
Muslim soldier row
New York Representative Richard Hanna became the first Republican member of Congress to publicly say he would vote for Mrs Clinton.
On Monday, Sally Bradshaw, a top adviser to Jeb Bush, said that Mr Trump's candidacy had convinced her to leave the Republican Party.
Many Republicans opposed to Mr Trump have stopped short of supporting Mrs Clinton, saying they would vote for a third candidate instead.
However, former Republican congressman John LeBoutillier told the BBC's Newsday programme he believed many Republican politicians would back Mrs Clinton.
"Now I think in private a lot of Republican congressmen are going to vote for Hillary, they can't stand Trump," he said.
The property billionaire has been heavily under fire for criticising the parents of a US Muslim soldier killed in Iraq.
Speaking at the Democratic convention last week, the soldier's father, Khizr Khan, lambasted Mr Trump over his plan to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the US.
Mr Trump responded by attacking the couple - who are called in the US a "Gold Star" family, the term for those who have lost a close relative in war.
Image copyright AFP
Image caption Khizr Khan spoke out against Mr Trump's policies at the Democratic National Convention
Democratic and Republican leaders as well as veterans' groups quickly rounded on him.
The row also led US President Barack Obama to make his strongest comments yet on Mr Trump, saying he was "unfit" to serve as president.
"The notion that he would attack a Gold Star family that made such extraordinary sacrifices... means that he is woefully unprepared to do this job," Mr Obama said on Tuesday.
In response, Mr Trump dismissed President Obama's time in the White House as a "disaster".
"He's been weak, he's been ineffective... the worst president, maybe, in the history of our country", he said in a Fox News interview.
Mrs Clinton has been actively courting moderate Republicans. A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll suggested she had extended her lead over Mr Trump to eight percentage points, from six points on Friday.
Republicans not voting for Mr Trump
Barbara Bush, former first lady
Jeb Bush, former Florida governor, 2016 presidential candidate
William Cohen, former secretary of defence
Jeff Flake, Arizona senator
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina senator, 2016 presidential candidate
Larry Hogan, Maryland governor
John Kasich, Ohio governor, 2016 presidential candidate
Mark Kirk, Illinois senator
Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, 2012 Republican presidential nominee
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Florida congresswoman
Ben Sasse, Nebraska senator
Republicans voting for Mrs Clinton
Richard Armitage, former deputy secretary of state
Hank Paulson, former treasury secretary
Brent Scowcroft, former national security adviser
Richard Hanna, New York congressman
Meg Whitman, party donor and fundraiser
