Barbara Comstock, a first-term incumbent in a moderate district in Northern Virginia, called for Donald Trump to drop out of the race in October 2016.
Posted by Bannon`s War Room, Checked
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- 9 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 93%
Bannon`s War RoomOct 7, 2026
Multiple contemporaneous October 2016 reports (CBS, NBC, InsideNoVa, Patch, WTVR, Mother Jones) confirm that Rep. Barbara Comstock urged Trump to step aside after the Access Hollywood tape. Sources also show she was first elected in 2014 and faced a competitive race in her moderate Northern Virginia district, so the claim's descriptors hold.
A played clip makes this claim. Listeners heard it, so it counts against the post.
What was said
… She is a first term incumbent and facing a very tough reelection fight back home in a moderate district that could swing in this election. And so Barbara Comstock, over the weekend, was among those Republicans who called for Trump to drop out of the race. Speaker Ryan says that members have to do, will do, what they have to do in order to win reelection. For some, it's breaking from Trump; for others, it's wholeheartedly. …
Bannon`s War Room · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. CBS News and NBC News, both published October 8, 2016, list Comstock among Republicans calling for Trump to drop out, with NBC quoting her call that his remarks were "disgusting, vile, and disqualifying."[1][2]
Supports. InsideNoVa and WTVR report that Comstock called on Trump to step aside on Friday night, October 7, 2016, after the lewd video surfaced, and urged that Mike Pence or another nominee replace him.[6][7]
Supports. Patch and Mother Jones (October 2016) describe Comstock as one of the first Republicans to urge Trump to exit the race, and Politico describes her as facing a competitive race in her moderate northern Virginia district.[3][4][8]
Supports. The Washington Post and Wikipedia report that Comstock was first elected in 2014, so 2016 was her first-term reelection bid as an incumbent, and Wikipedia dates her call for Trump to drop out to early October 2016.[5][9]
Context. The claim's wording tracks the passage, which refers to the weekend of October 7, 2016; the post's title dates the events to October 2016, so the 'October 2016' timing is the post's own and is not an addition.
Sources
9 sources: 5 tier 2, 4 not rated
- 1Where do all 28 GOP women in Congress stand on Donald Trump?cbsnews.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 2These 51 GOP leaders say Trump should not be presidentnbcnews.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 3Former Top Clinton Nemesis Tries to Flee Trumpmotherjones.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 4Republican women are done with Trumppolitico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 5Comstock defeats Bennett to retain Virginia House seatwashingtonpost.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 6Comstock wants Trump out as Republican standard-bearerinsidenova.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Where Central Virginia Republicans stand on Trump - WTVR.comwtvr.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 8'Step Aside' Trump: Comstock's Early Exit Followed by More ...patch.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 9Barbara Comstock - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Barbara Comstock called for Donald Trump to drop out of the presidential race.True
- At least a dozen House Republicans publicly stated over the weekend in October 2016 that they did not want Donald Trump to be the party's nominee.True
- The Republican Party leadership in the House of Representatives held a conference call with 246 Republican colleagues to discuss Donald Trump's candidacy in October 2016.True
- Joni Ernst is the only female Republican senator who has not called for Donald Trump to step aside.Can’t tell
- Following the release of the Access Hollywood tape in October 2016, Republican establishment figures proposed that Mike Pence replace Donald Trump as the presidential nominee with Condoleezza Rice as the vice-presidential nominee.Mixed