Senior Republican Party officials have reportedly been looking into how they would replace Donald Trump on the ballot this November if the nominee decides to exit the presidential race.
According to ABC News, GOP leaders have been considering the possibility that the real estate mogul might drop out of the election in the wake of his erratic behavior and a series of controversies in the weeks since accepting the nomination.
Last week, Trump attacked the parents of a Muslim-American soldier killed during the Iraq War who criticized the nominee during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia for his proposed ban on Muslims entering the U.S. Shortly after, nude photos of his wife Melania leaked online.
For his part, Trump has given no indication that he intends to take himself out of the running, and there is no way for the party to forcibly remove him. But the candidate has recently voiced skepticism concerning the fairness of the upcoming election.
“I’m afraid the election’s going to be rigged. I have to be honest,” Trump said at a rally in Columbus, Ohio on Monday.
Despite some criticism of the comments, Trump doubled down during an interview on Fox News’ “Hannity” that night, calling the 2012 presidential election “unfair.”
“I’m telling you, November 8, we’d better be careful, because that election is going to be rigged,” he said. “And I hope the Republicans are watching closely or it’s going to be taken away from us.”