When you think of Ohio, the Buckeyes, Neil Armstrong, the Wright Brothers, eight U.S. Presidents and billionaire Les Wexner all come to mind.
Wexner, L Brands Founder and CEO, has been the wealthiest Republican supporter in the battleground state for decades. He’s been a critical financial component in every presidential election you can remember.
Thursday night in downtown Columbus, without any fanfare, at an event where he was speaking about civility, Wexner stunned the audience:
“I just decided I’m no longer a Republican. I’m an independent. I won’t support this nonsense in the Republican Party.”
In the state of Ohio, you may as well have dropped a nuclear bomb.
Donald Trump has run Les Wexner out of the Republican Party.
Another stunning example of how the GOP is transforming under Trump’s leadership.
At the event, Wexner spoke warmly about former President Barack Obama, and about the theme of bipartisan civility, something he has been promoting in recent months.
“I was struck by the genuineness of the man; his candor, humility and empathy for others,” Wexner said of Obama.
That’s is stark contrast to what Wexner has said about Trump. Last year, in a speech to L Brands employees, he said he felt “dirty” and “ashamed” following Trump’s response to violence that erupted at the Unite the Right rally that left one dead in Charlottesville.
Trump had said there were “very fine people” among the white nationalist protesters at that rally.
Thursday night, Wexner recalled that incident, which he said caused him to lose sleep. “I have to do something because the leader of our country is behaving poorly,” Wexner recalled thinking.
