The most senior elected Republican in Washington said that he will no longer defend or campaign with Donald Trump, a clear signal that party leaders are giving up hope of winning the White House.
The move by Paul Ryan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives who informed his Republican colleagues of the decision in a conference call, came a day after a debate performance that resurrected some hope for the Trump campaign.
Mr Ryan’s statement that he would focus on limiting electoral damage in congressional races amounted to a body blow to Mr Trump, who was counting on the debate to stem the flow of party leaders abandoning him following the release of a video in which he spoke in lewd terms about groping women.