Republican officials are reportedly preparing a backup plan in case Trump drops out

Republicans are preparing for the possibility of Donald Trump dropping out of the presidential race.
(Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

Senior officials in the Republican Party are "actively exploring what would happen if [Donald] Trump dropped out" and needed to be replaced on the ballot, ABC's Jon Karl reported on Good Morning America Wednesday.

Top GOP party members have reportedly reached a state of panic as it becomes increasingly clear that Trump's presidential pivot was a false promise. What's more, after several turbulent weeks for the campaign, Trump has said he is not ready to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan for re-election, nor Arizona Sen. John McCain.

"He is so unpredictable right now, they are so unable to control his message… they clearly think it's a possibility," Karl said.

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But a celebration from the Never Trump crowd would be premature. "They can't force [Trump] out; he would have to go out voluntarily. And it would have to be the 167 members of the RNC through a complicated process to pick a new candidate. And it would have to happen by early September," Karl said.

You can check out Karl's full report in this video, via Mediaite.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.