Donald Trump Evan Vucci Evan Vucci

IT HAS BEEN a long three days for Donald Trump.

The Republican nominee for American president responded to a scandal involving an 11-year-old video which showed him talking about women in lewd terms by coming out swinging in last night’s presidential debate with Hillary Clinton.

Clearly Trump won’t be going down without a fight. But going down he certainly seems to be if the latest polls are to be believed.

An NBC News / Wall Street Journal poll (conducted in the aftermath of the tape’s release but before the second debate in St Louis) shows Trump trailing by 11 points – 46% to 35% in favour of Clinton.

Aggregated polls from end August to date Real Clear Politics Real Clear Politics

Every major poll taken in the last two days shows Clinton with a commanding lead, bar one – that of the LA Times yesterday which shows Trump ahead by three points.

Two separate polls in the aftermath of the debate declared that Clinton had been the winner, although common consensus seems to be that Trump had done enough to at least steady the ship.

He needs more than a steady ship over the next 29 days however.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan, the most powerful Republican in Congress, has reportedly told his colleagues that he can no longer “defend” Trump.

Paul Ryan Andrew Harnik Andrew Harnik

Ryan says he will no longer campaign with or for the controversial real estate mogul for the remainder of the race, a source told AFP.

“He will spend his entire energy making sure that Hillary Clinton does not get a blank check with a Democrat-controlled Congress,” the source said.

Trump, as is wont, fired back a broadside of his own at Ryan via Twitter.

While the two have never exactly seen eye to eye, Ryan has yet to officially withdraw his endorsement for Trump.

Both Trump and Clinton were back on the campaign trail today, with the billionaire former reality TV star in feisty form in Pennsylvania, doubling down to a rally on his attention to have his rival investigated and imprisoned should he win the race.

America finally goes to the polls on Tuesday 8 November. It’s set to be a brutal month.

With AFP

Read: Trump’s compliment to Hillary surprised people – but he’s been saying nice things about her for years

Read: Mike Pence denies he ever considered quitting the Republican ticket after emergence of THAT Trump video

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