GEORGE STEHPANOPOULOS (HOST): In the last 48 hours, something we've never seen before. Dozens of elected officials, senators, governors, members of Congress all abandoning their party's nominee. The exodus is unprecedented, and it all began late Friday when The Washington Post unearthed this disturbing video. Donald Trump and broadcaster Billy Bush on the set of Days of our Lives the summer of 2005.
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The reaction swift and brutal. All through Saturday a cascade of condemnation from top Republicans. At least 14 Republican senators saying they won't vote for Trump or want him out of the race including five of the six GOP women and former nominee John McCain. Backlash on the House side, too. At least 25 GOP members now rejecting the nominee. House Speaker Paul Ryan said he's sickened. Disinvited Trump from a rally in Wisconsin. When Ryan appeared he got scattered boos from Trump supporters. VP nominee Mike Pence refused to defend Trump and something else we have never seen before: a nominee rebuked by his own running mate.
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The scene at Trump Tower chaotic and tense. The candidate's top advisers in for damage control inside his penthouse, Trump defiant, telling the Wall Street Journal there's zero chance he'll quit. The Washington Post, I've never withdrawn in my life. The New York Times, I am in this until the end. By early Saturday evening after watching the crowds gather on cable TV, Trump went downstairs from a fix from his fans. We're covering all the angles of this breaking story. Let's begin at the debate hall in St. Louis with Jon Karl, and Jon this is described by top Republicans as the worst crisis for the party since Watergate.
JON KARL: That cascade of Republicans that have fled Donald Trump includes elected officials from the northeast, from the south, from the west, it includes establishment Republicans, tea party Republicans, the full spectrum of the Republican Party, and George, I expect that we will see many more after this debate. A lot of the top Republican leaders including party chairman Reince Priebus, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell the Senate leader, have not fully gone out and said they no longer support Trump but a disastrous performance in this debate or a performance that does not put these doubts to rest will lead to many more including, I believe, some of the leaders to flee Trump as well.
