title:  GOP’s Stunning Reactions To Trump’s Remarks On Orlando Show That His Election Chances Are Dead
text: As the GOP presidential nominee, Republicans have, as of late, been grudgingly getting behind Donald Trump. Following the massacre in Orlando, though, it seems that Senate Republicans can t stomach the thought of even mentioning Trump s name anymore. On Capitol Hill, the mood is one of depression, fatigue, and giving up and of simmering anger.Instead of being classy and offering condolences, or even just saying he was saddened at the loss of so many lives, Trump gloated over being right about radical Islam, and said we need toughness and vigilance. Then he expanded his  ban all Muslims  policy proposal to include people from any country with any history of terrorism, and said he d accomplish that through executive order.Can we say  despotic? He also blamed Obama for the attack by calling him weak, and insinuating he might even be helping the terrorists.That might be what his drone-like fans want to hear, but putting the blame on Obama was what sent Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) over the edge on Trump. He told Politico: I m not going to be commenting on presidential candidates today. That s it. That s all. He s spent a lot of time explaining what Trump needs to do differently, and how he needs to tone it down, and it s fallen on deaf ears. So, at least for a day, McConnell is done.Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX), the number two Republican in the Senate, also brushed off any discussion of Trump   except he s so sick of the guy that he went several steps further than McConnell. He doesn t plan on talking about Trump at all for the next five months. He ended his talk with Politico by saying: Wish me luck. He s going to need it.Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), whose name has been bandied about as a possible VP pick for Trump, is upset about what Trump said during a foreign policy speech following Orlando. Politico says Corker is normally very talkative, but he would only say: I don t know that I really have a lot to say. Apparently he said that twice, but he eventually spoke a little bit about King Trump s speech: It wasn t the type (of address) that one would expect a person who is wanting to lead the greatest nation in the world to make. Fifty people have perished, and [53] more have been harmed. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Richard Burr (R-NC) had nothing to say about Trump at all, according to Politico, except for a hurried comment from Burr about going to read Trump s speech. He then disappeared into an elevator.Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) also slammed Trump s remarks, saying: I think his comments are inappropriate when the nation is in mourning over the worst terrorism attack that we ve had since 9/11. She s not even sure she ll be able to make herself vote for Trump, according to Politico.Trump s more outspoken critics on Capitol Hill, such as Senators Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), continued to be outspoken as they slammed Trump s reaction to Orlando. But it was Flake s comments that hint at the strong possibility that Trump just sounded the death knell for his own campaign: He s won 13 million votes total so far; he s got to get 65 million or so to win the general election, which includes a lot of independents and Republicans that don t feel as he does. He can t win the general election talking the way he is. The latest Bloomberg poll shows Hillary Clinton leading Trump nationally by 12 points. Bloomberg says that Orlando has had little effect on the 2016 campaign, but that s likely to change as Trump continues to try and talk tough and falls flat on face with those who are reluctant about supporting him.Senate Republicans have been hoping for months that he would stop being the offensive, bombastic candidate that embodies everything shameful about America s conservative wing. But he s a particular problem for the Senate, because he could end up being the reason Republicans lose both the White House and the Senate in November.Featured image by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images