Rep. Jason Chaffetz changes his mind again, will vote for Trump after all
It turns out Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, is willing to put his "good name and reputation" behind Donald Trump after all.
The chairman of the House Oversight Committee said that he is voting for Donald Trump in a tweet Wednesday night after vowing not to vote for the Republican nominee in the wake of the Access Hollywood recording that surfaced earlier this month.
"I will not defend or endorse @realDonaldTrump, but I am voting for him," Chaffetz tweeted. "HRC is that bad. HRC is bad for the USA."
Shortly after the tape of Trump saying he groped and kissed women dropped like a two-ton explosive into the middle of the presidential campaign, Chaffetz said he could not vote for Trump.
"My wife, Julia and I, we have a 15-year-old daughter," Chaffetz told CNN. "Do you think I can look her in the eye and tell her that I endorsed Donald Trump for president when he acts like this and his apology? That was no apology, that was an apology for getting caught."
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"So I'm not going to put my good name and reputation and my family behind Donald Trump when he acts like this, I just can't do it," he continued.
Chaffetz also rejected Trump's apology for his taped comments, which the GOP nominee dismissed as "locker room talk."
"This was not just locker talk — this was offensive," he said on CNN. "I can't tell the good people of Utah that I endorsed a person who acts like this."
Chaffetz's attempt to hold out an endorsement but still be able to vote for Trump didn't seem to matter to the Trump campaign.
On Thursday Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway tweeted a thank you to Chaffetz and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who supports Trump despite denouncing him, for their support.
Chaffetz's home state of Utah has been a safe haven for Republicans since the 1960s, but Trump's unpopularity there, particularly among Mormon voters, has raised doubts about his ability to carry the state. Many in Utah say they intend to vote for independent candidate Evan McMullin, a Mormon and graduate of Brigham Young University.
Contributing: Eliza Collins