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Conservative Blogger Criticizes GOP Response To Trump's Lewd Comments

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Many conservative women are struggling with Donald Trump's comments from 2005 where he crudely bragged about kissing and grabbing women between the legs without their consent. He said he can do that because he's famous. Marybeth Glenn expressed more of her exasperation last night on Twitter, saying she has spent years defending the GOP against accusations of sexism and now, quote, "some Trojan horse nationalist sexual predator invades the GOP, eating it alive, and you cowards sit this one out," end quote. Her tweet storm struck a chord. Marybeth Glenn is the editor of the website CollisionOfChurchandState.com, and she joins us now from northern Wisconsin. Welcome to the program.

MARYBETH GLENN: Thank you for having me.

SHAPIRO: Your tweets sounded like for you, having spent your life identifying with the conservative movement and the Republican Party, that this might be a real crisis of conscience for you. How are you feeling?

GLENN: Absolutely. I mean, I don't think it was a crisis so much as it was just the simple choice. You don't support people that are horrible. When it comes to the Republicans, it was difficult. When it comes to Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio, I know that they don't agree with him, but they're feeling backed in a corner. We need real leadership, and right now is when it counts. The soul of the conservative party is on the line right now, and they need to step up more than they have. After those tape drops on Friday, I was like, this is the last straw. If you can actually justify voting for him in November, we have a problem.

SHAPIRO: So it sounds like you're willing to continue working within the party. You're not washing your hands of it.

GLENN: I am willing to continue with conservatism. But put it this way - if Marco Rubio sticks with it and continues supporting him in November, when it comes to 2020, I'm not going to support him for president. I'm not going to be advocating on his behalf. I am not going to be out there hitting the sidewalk and preaching the good word of Marco Rubio as I was in the primaries (laughter). When Ben Sasse came out against him I said, that's who I'm going to support in 2020. If all of these other individuals continue supporting Trump run in 2020, I will support someone else.

SHAPIRO: Are there conservative leaders who you think are handling this admirably?

GLENN: I would say Lindsey Graham, Jeb Bush were really surprising to me. They were actually at the bottom of my list in the primaries. They've actually shown some incredible character throughout this entire fiasco. Ben Sasse is another one that I've been really impressed with, Mike Lee. But I do think that we have had some Republican leaders that have stood up and done what they need to do. Unfortunately, it's not these young and vibrant leaders that we were looking forward to. You know, we were really looking for the Rubio, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott. And the fact that they haven't stood up and said, I'm not voting for this man is a problem to me.

SHAPIRO: I've seen some commentators and analysts saying this could drive women away from the GOP for a generation. You're clearly alienated right now. Do you think that's a fair assessment, or is that overstating it?

GLENN: I think you have to look at the broader picture. I think that the GOP is driving women from the GOP. I didn't go out there and say, you know, I am a Democrat now. I am voting for Hillary Clinton. I said this wasn't acceptable. You know, I still have - I'm still a conservative. I still hold conservative values and conservative principles. And I still think that it is important to share that message. And I will continue doing that. I just won't do it under the umbrella of saying that these men are behaving in the right way when they're not.

SHAPIRO: Have you decided who you'll vote for?

GLENN: Yes, Evan McMullin. When he entered the race, I listened to him. He's pro-refugee. He is pro- pathway to citizenship. He has an impeccable understanding of foreign policy. It's someone that stands for my principles and values, then I'll go to sleep at night placing my vote for him.

SHAPIRO: Evan McMullin is running as an independent for president.

GLENN: Yeah.

SHAPIRO: Marybeth Glenn, thank you so much for joining us.

GLENN: Thank you, I really appreciate it.

SHAPIRO: Marybeth Glenn is the editor of "The Collision Blog," and she joined us via Skype. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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