South Dakota Sen. John Thune signaled that he continues to support GOP nominee Donald Trump, according to The Rapid City Journal
"He has a lot of work to do, I think, to win this election. But I'm certainly not going to vote for Hillary Clinton," Thune said.
After the release of lewd comments Trump made in 2005, Thune criticized the real estate mogul, saying he should withdraw from the race and let his running mate Mike Pence become the nominee.
The leaked video was "more offensive than anything I've ever seen," the Republican lawmaker said, adding that he had "reservations about the way [Trump] has conducted his campaign and himself."
Thune, chairman of the Republican Conference in the Senate, is the third highest-ranking Republican, behind Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Whip John Cornyn.
Trump must focus on the voters, said Thune, and "I hope he will lay out what he wants to do for the American people."
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