Rep. [crscore]Darrell Issa[/crscore] suggested that Donald Trump’s candidacy could be similar to that of former Missouri Rep. Todd Akin’s run for Senate in 2012 and bring down the Republican Party.
Tuesday on CNN’s “New Day” with Chris Cuomo, Issa, who has endorsed Sen. [crscore]Marco Rubio[/crscore], compared Trump to Akin by arguing that the former congressman “was the wrong candidate and it wasn’t until later that they realized that somebody who wasn’t think about what they said, who was saying things that were off the wall brought down the party.” (RELATED: George Will: Trump A ‘One-Man Todd Akin’ For GOP, Acting Like A ‘Democratic Mole’)
Issa argued, “Probably the most ridiculing candidacy that we’ve had and it was in 2012 was Todd Akin running for senator and he managed not to just bring down the Missouri race, but bring down a number of others. That’s not questionable or deniable.”
Akin “got 36 percent in the primary over the state treasurer who go 30 [percent] and another candidate who got 30-some [percent]. It was close. He was the wrong candidate and it wasn’t until later that they realized that somebody who wasn’t think about what they said, who was saying things that were off the wall brought down the party,” Issa said. “Donald Trump could be a national Todd Akin if our party doesn’t coalesce behind a single candidate.”
Akin bore the brunt of national scorn for his “legitimate rape” comment in his 2012 senatorial race against Sen. [crscore]Claire McCaskill[/crscore]. (RELATED: ‘Legitimate Rape’?: What Was Todd Akin Getting At?)
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