Republicans fear he could bring down their party this November, but Donald Trump insists his campaign is as united as ever, even as he admits concern the November election may go to rival Hillary Clinton. Josh Robin filed the following report.
Donald Trump took the microphone and insisted everything is just fine, despite reports to the contrary.
"So I just want to tell you the campaign is doing really well. It's never been so well-united," he said.
A few moments later, the man who seemingly never contemplates defeat seemed to slip into a moment of candor.
"Wouldn't that be embarassing? To lose to Crooked Hillary Clinton? That would be terrible!" he said. "If we don't make it all the way, it's sort of been a waste of time, don't you think?"
Maybe Republican leaders don't know what to think about their nominee. Some days, he seems to be cracking up, picking fights with the families of slain soldiers or refusing to endorse the House Speaker of the House in a primary while his running mate does.
But amid scorn, and Republican leaders wringing hands, the nominee packed a pair of Florida rallies Wednesday.
"And we're going to make our country safe again, and we're going to make our country great again," Trump said.
Plus, his campaign says it's raised nearly as much as Hillary Clinton last month.
It's left Clinton with a dual strategy, alternating between deeming Trump tempermentally unfit and wielding more conventional politics, like visting a tie factory to spotlight where Trump ties are made
"Everything Donald Trump makes in China, Mexico, Turkey, Slovenia and elsewhere in the world, Bangladesh, could be made right here in America," she said.
She wasn't done. There are new ads in swing states, where Republicans and independents may tilt the balance to Clinton.
Clinton is wooing prominent Republicans. The latest is business executive and GOP fundraiser Meg Whitman.
A day before, upstate Republican Rep. Richard Hanna said he's also voting Clinton.
"I am so profoundly convinced, and have been for some time, that Trump is unqualified and a danger to this country. And you see it daily," Hanna said.
Trump may take some solace that the Republicans defections aren't entirely boldface names and that endorsements, or non-endorsements for that matter, may have limited effect.