Of course, even before this latest backlash, Trump was struggling to consolidate support in Utah. While he led in state polls, he was averaging an anemic 37%, with libertarian Gary Johnson and independent Evan McMullin stripping away considerable swaths of disaffected conservatives. Several top Republicans had refused to endorsed him all year, and the ones that did were tentative at best. Now that Trump faces an exodus of GOP support in the state, some in Utah politics believe the bottom could fall out for the candidate.

“I never believed the earlier stories about Trump losing Utah,” Lieutenant Gov. Spencer Cox told BuzzFeed News. “Sure, he would underperform other Republicans by historic margins, but still win comfortably. Now, I’m honestly not sure. This feels different.”

One reason may be the distinctive nature of this current controversy. There are many reasons for the well-documented Mormon distaste for Trump: His draconian immigration platform clashes with the sensibilities of a church that has sent hundreds of thousands of young missionaries to Latin America; his Muslim-bashing alarms members of a faith whose early history is rife with state-sanctioned persecution; and his portrait of a nation spiraling into dystopia doesn’t resonate with communities that lead the country in many social and economic indicators. But one of the most visceral turn-offs for Mormon voters has always been Trump’s personality — the brazen philandering, the macho vulgarity, the penchant for hurling crude insults at women.