By Rebecca Savransky - 08-09-16 21:53 PM EDT
Former Sen. Gordon Humphrey (R-N.H.) is urging Republican leaders to replace GOP nominee Donald Trump, Politico reported.
Humphrey, a strong critic of the GOP nominee, wrote a letter Tuesday to New Hampshire's three representatives to the Republican National Committee encouraging them to take the party's nominee off the ticket.
He argued that Trump's comments at a rally earlier Tuesday, where he appeared to joke about gun owners taking action against Hillary Clinton. was "the last straw."
"If this is not the straw that breaks the camel's back, if this outrage is not sufficient to inspire courage in the Republican leadership, not just Reince Priebus but Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan, then surely the Republican Party has lost its moral conscience," he said in a phone interview with Politico.
Humphrey is calling on the RNC to invoke a party rule that lets its leaders replace a nominee. Rule 9 of the national GOP rules lets RNC leaders fill presidential candidate vacancies "which may occur by death, declination, or otherwise," according to Politico.
"The RNC would not be powerless if a candidate fell into a coma from which recovery was uncertain," Humphrey wrote in his letter to the New Hampshire RNC members.
"In that circumstance the RNC would act under a duty to the Party and a moral duty to the nation to replace the nominee. Likewise, when a candidate repeated [sic] evidences unsoundness of mind, the RNC has a duty to act. The time is now."
During a rally Tuesday in North Carolina, Trump was talking about the possibility that Clinton would be able to appoint liberal justices to the Supreme Court if she wins the White House.
"Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment," Trump said.
"By the way, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks," he added.
"Though the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know."
His comments quickly drew criticism, with the Clinton campaign calling the remarks dangerous. Trump's campaign sought to quell the backlash, issuing a statement attacking the media.
"It's called the power of unification - 2nd Amendment people have amazing spirit and are tremendously unified, which gives them great political power," Jason Miller, a top Trump aide, said in the statement.
Humphrey said he hadn't yet heard back from the members of the New Hampshire RNC.
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