Republicans stepped up their public criticism of former President Donald Trump on Thursday. Some said it was time to move forward, even as Republicans prepare to launch their third White House bid next week after unexpectedly poor results in the midterm elections.
Virginia’s Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, a former Trump supporter, said voters sent a “very clear message” on Tuesday that “enough is enough.”
“Voters are talking and saying they want another leader, and a true leader understands when they are in charge,” she said during an appearance on Fox Business. rice field. “A true leader understands it’s time to get off the stage. It’s time to move on.”
Earl Sears, who co-chaired a group called Black Americans to re-elect President Trump in 2020, also said he “wouldn’t have been able to” endorse another Trump campaign.
Some advisers have urged Trump to delay the planned announcement until after the Senate runoff vote in Georgia on December 6. But Trump rejected that advice and invited reporters to a “special announcement” at his club Mar-a-Lago on Thursday, Tuesday, November 15, at 9pm.
So he’s about to launch a comeback bid when he finds himself in a very vulnerable position, largely unchallenged after dominating the party since winning the nomination in 2016. , the “Access Hollywood” scandal that nearly sank his first campaign, and even through the deadly raid on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
At the same time, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who easily won re-election on Tuesday, is in renewed focus as Republicans openly consider moving away from Trump.
Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranked Republican in the Senate, cited Trump’s role in buoying an inexperienced and controversial candidate in a primary earlier this year after losing this week’s election.
“There is no substitute for quality candidates,” Thune said in an interview.
“We’ve had some very contested, competitive primaries this year,” Toon said. “And in some cases there were a lot of forces at work, including outsiders who voiced their support at some of those races.”
Thune said he hoped the party would see the rise of a young leader.
“You can’t have a party built around one personality,” he said.
Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, who clashed with Trump in his first two years in office, called Trump “a stumbling block on our ticket” for undermining the party’s chances in 2024.
“We want to win the White House, and we know it’s very likely we’ll lose with Trump,” he said in an interview with WISN 12 News. If you have a nominee, you are much more likely to win in the White House than if the nominee is Trump.”
Retiring Republican Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey also condemned Trump’s intervention in Republican losses in his state, saying Trump-backed candidates outperformed other Republicans on the ballot significantly. pointed out that
“I think my party needs to face the fact that if loyalty to Donald Trump is the primary criterion for choosing a candidate, it probably won’t work.” There is a very high correlation between big losses, or at least dramatically underperforming.”
Trump disputed that he had a bad night.
“For the many people being fed false narratives from corrupt media that I am upset about the midterm elections, please don’t believe it,” he said on his social media networks. “I’m not mad at all. I did a great job (I wasn’t running!). I’m so busy thinking about the future. Remember, I’m a ‘stable genius.’ .
It’s also possible that additional Trump-backed candidates will win the race. The crushing victory the Republicans predicted didn’t materialize, but the party still appears well-positioned to overthrow the House and may eventually win the Senate as well. Too early to call.
“There’s no such thing as an ugly win or a pretty big loss,” said Jason Miller, a former Trump campaign staffer and one of the people who advised delaying the planned announcement until after Georgia’s runoff election. Stated.
“Nancy Pelosi’s political career is over,” he predicted. ‘Biden’s agenda is dead’
Other Trump allies have provided statements to the press on behalf of the former president and have endorsed him even before the impending announcement.
“I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for president in 2024. I fully support his re-election,” Republican House Speaker Elise Stefanik said in a statement. “It’s time for Republicans to unite around America’s most popular Republicans with a track record of conservative governance.”
“If he runs for office in 2024, he will not only have my endorsement, but he will have the support of millions of Americans across the country,” said one of Congress’ top supporters. Rep. Jim Banks said.
Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, who has emerged as Trump’s most successful candidate, said he is confident he will be the party’s nominee if the former president decides to run again.
“Every year, the media writes a political obituary for Donald Trump, and every year it’s a quick reminder that Trump is the most popular figure in the Republican Party,” Bunce said in an inquiry to a Trump spokesman. said in a statement provided later.
Trump’s decision to move forward now is partly because he wants to freeze the field and secure support in order to try to stop the rise of DeSantis, who he has long considered his most formidable potential adversary. It is driven by his desire to
In a sign of growing dissatisfaction, Trump launched a long outrage Thursday night accusing Fox News and other Rupert Murdoch-controlled news outlets of “going all out to Gov. Ron DeSanctimonias DeSantis.” issued a statement. Taking credit for his DeSantis win in 2018, he did some great publicity work.
Trump’s allies have previously claimed reports of male tensions were exaggerated, but Trump has personally accused DeSantis of failing to rule out a possible run. said so publicly.
“Well, it’s not really the right answer when it comes to loyalty and class,” he wrote, comparing the race to his winning 2016 campaign. They keep chasing us, MAGA, but in the end we win.
