Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press
Republican vice presidential candidate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence spoke during a campaign rally in Newton, Iowa, on Tuesday.
As Donald Trump stepped up his fierce attacks on his own party leaders Tuesday, some supporters also ratcheted up their rhetoric at rallies for the Republican presidential nominee and his running mate.
At a speech in Newton, Iowa, Republican vice-presidential nominee Pence addressed a woman who told him she was concerned about widespread voter fraud and warned that, if Clinton wins, ‘‘I am ready for a revolution.’’
‘‘Don’t say that,’’ Pence responded.
Pence received multiple standing ovations at the gathering and was thanked at one point for sticking with Trump.
‘‘You … just got my respect for not jumping and bailing out on Donald Trump,’’ the questioner said.
With Trump’s campaign floundering and little time to steady it, the businessman reverted Tuesday to the combative, divisive strategy that propelled him to victory in the GOP primary: Attack every critic — including fellow Republicans.
His scorched-earth approach, days after his sexually predatory language caught on tape triggered a mass Republican defection, threatened to alienate even more supporters.
‘‘Fighting for the sake of fighting is not really very helpful,’’ said former Trump adviser Barry Bennett.
But Trump’s aggressive shift is popular among his most loyal supporters, who continue to flock to his rallies by the thousands.
After House Speaker Paul Ryan told Republicans Monday he’ll no longer campaign for Trump, some Trump supporters joined the candidate in criticizing Ryan.
Allison Ellis, 30, deemed Ryan ‘‘a traitor’’ and shrugged off Trump’s sexually aggressive comments in the 2005 video. She pointed at Democrat Hillary Clinton’s shortcomings.
‘‘I have daughters and I don’t like what he said but I also wouldn’t want to be held responsible for everything I said 11 years ago,’’ Ellis said at Trump’s Panama City Beach, Florida, rally. ‘‘And it’s nothing compared to what she did — she should be in jail.’’
But some of Trump’s supporters admitted their confidence was shaken.
‘‘I still think he can do it, but he has to play mistake-free the rest of the way,’’ said Mike Novoret, 59. ‘‘If something else comes up, he’s toast.’’
