https://soundcloud.com/keepinit1600/ep-24-trumps-refusal-the-electoral-map-and-mike-murphy

One of the most prominent Republican political operatives has some advice for Pat Toomey: distance yourself from Donald Trump.

Mike Murphy, who’s worked with candidates like John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger, was a guest on The Ringer’s Keepin’ It 1600 podcast.

The hosts, former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau and ex-White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer, began by asking Murphy how Speaker Paul Ryan should handle the GOP’s presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Murphy, who ran a pro-Jeb Bush Super PAC last year, has been a severe critic of Trump’s.

Pfeiffer then moved (approx. 47:30) to the question of how Republican Senators in battleground states should handle Trump.

“I saw some private polling that showed Mark Kirk helped himself,” Murphy responded, referring to Sen. Kirk’s statement that he can’t support Trump. “You know he was in a really tough situation in Illinois but he got a definite bounce that put him back I think into having a shot, albeit a long shot there.”

“I think Toomey should think about doing the same thing,” Murphy added.” I’d give him that advice if I ever talked to Toomey, same thing with Kelly [Ayotte] up in New Hampshire. The problem with this stuff, and you guys know pols, they’re pain adverse.”

He went on to predict that Trump will continue to alienate voters, joking that it will come to the point that Trump “sets his hair on fire”. By that time, though, he believes the Republican candidates will have missed their chance.

“They’re all gonna jump off, but it will be too late and they won’t get any credit,” he explained. “You need to do that first jump, which is hard and it’s just not the nature of election year politicians in either party to take pain. So I think they’re trying to pull the band-aid off slowly and that makes it hurt more.”