DENVER — Donald Trump’s strong debate performance Sunday drew at least one Republican candidate back into the GOP presidential nominee’s corner.
Colorado Senate candidate Darryl Glenn said Monday that he had changed his mind after calling on Mr. Trump to step aside following last week’s release of a lewd 2005 audio in which he talked about groping women.
“Donald Trump did what he absolutely had to do. He reset this campaign,” Mr. Glenn told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto. “People were wanting him to come out and show contrition, and he did that. He accepted responsibility.”
It was a dramatic turnaround from Saturday, when Mr. Glenn released a statement asking Mr. Trump to bow out of the race in favor of running mate Mike Pence, saying, “America cannot have a man who speaks this way about women be the face of our country to the Free World.”
He wasn’t the only Colorado Republican to do so — Sen. Cory Gardner and Rep. Mike Coffman also called on Mr. Trump to exit the race — but Mr. Glenn’s reaction came as more of a surprise, given that he had enthusiastically endorsed and appeared with the presidential candidate.
Colorado Democrats blasted Mr. Glenn, who is seeking to unseat Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, for “backpedaling.”
“Darryl Glenn is showing once again what type of ’leader’ for Colorado he would be — one who can’t step up to confront bullies, and one who can’t stick to a decision,” said Colorado Democratic Party spokesperson Chris Meagher in a statement. “We’ve known all along where Glenn stands on Donald Trump — he thinks he’s a ’patriot,’ he said he’d campaign for him, and he made it his personal responsibility to deliver Colorado for Trump.”
Asked what changed for him, Mr. Glenn pointed to Mr. Trump’s comments at Sunday’s presidential debate.
“He stepped up and took responsibility, and then he proceeded to prosecute the case [against Democrat Hillary Clinton],” Mr. Glenn said. “We didn’t have that. And I think it’s extremely important because then — Hillary Clinton, we caught her in a lie, and then she talked about her expansive vision for the Supreme Court, this is precisely what we need to be able to frame the issue around with regard to winning this election.”
Mr. Glenn also said he would extend an invitation for Mr. Trump, who most recently campaigned in the state at a Sept. 17 rally in Colorado Springs, to speak to voters at a town hall in Colorado.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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