Donald Trump's campaign is in crisis. He needs a miracle in tonight's debate.

His candidacy is on life support. If he actually wants to be president, he has to turn things around tonight.

Donald Trump will have to pray for a successful debate.

Donald Trump needs something like a miracle at Sunday night's presidential debate. Because after a tape was published on Friday afternoon in which Trump described his behavior in terms reserved for the jury trial of a sexual predator, his whole candidacy is in jeopardy.

Dozens of GOP leaders are calling for him to resign his candidacy and be replaced by Mike Pence. And remember, even before this latest scandal — clearly the most damning in a litany of damning Trump behaviors — his presidential campaign was really dragging. His low-energy and huffy performances on the campaign trail last week suggest that he also knew it. Now, with this bomb exploding on his ambitions, who knows what will happen.

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Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is the founder and editor of The Slurve, a newsletter about baseball. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, ESPN Magazine, Slate and The American Conservative.