But now Republicans face the possibility of becoming a minority in the Senate, and have yet to see if they will formally win an uncomfortably narrow majority in the House.
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earl Sears, a Trump backer, said the poor performance of some of the candidates he supported was a sign he should step down.
“It turned out that the one he didn’t endorse on the same ticket worked better than the one he did endorse,” she said. And a true leader knows when he’s in charge of a mission.”
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Snunu (Republican) — who scored a victory when Trump-backed Senate candidate Don Balduk lost by a wide margin — told SiriusXM on Friday that Trump is running for Republican Georgia Senate candidate Herschel. He said he could “ruin” Walker’s opportunity. He wins if he announces his candidacy before his December runoff vote in the state.
“What the former president doesn’t understand is whether he will announce…he’s not going to keep anyone else out of the race,” Sununu said, calling it “an embarrassing thing.” “I don’t think they got off to a good start.”
Just as he prepares to announce his 2024 presidential run next week, the amount of outright criticism shows Mr. Trump’s seldom undermining among Republicans. Exit polls show his approval ratings even lower than President Biden’s on Tuesday, and polls of Republican voters show he’s up against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in a hypothetical presidential matchup. It suggests that you are losing.
But Republicans who have long been critical of Trump are wary of instilling hope that the party’s new criticism means they’re ready to move forward this time. After the Access Hollywood tape was released and the Capitol was attacked last January 6, 2021, it quickly turned back as Republican voters rallied around him after an influx of criticism against him. rice field.
Doug Hay, a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee and a longtime Trump critic, said, “I’ve heard the song before. The question is, is it different this time?”
The criticism this time comes as Trump seeks to resume his political career and faces potential challenges from Republicans who lack his baggage. The fact that many candidates who imitated his style, such as Dixon, had their worst results on Tuesday also underscores Trump’s own defeat in 2020. It turned many voters off with its backward-looking and conspiratorial message.
Of course, some of the criticism of Trump stems from the Republican Party’s few successful midterm elections so far. Republican state legislator Mike Lawler, who won the seat from Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (DN.Y.), the chairman of the House Democratic campaign division, said his party needs to surpass Trump.
“As we move forward, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to go the other way, it’s a good thing,” he said in an interview with CNN this week. You decide what you want to do, and the former president will decide what you want to do.”
Trump recently attacked two potential rivals. He mocked Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, in a statement Friday, saying his name sounds “Chinese.” He also issued a lengthy statement following DeSantis warning against opposing him.
The debate is taking place on Fox News, a hub for Trump’s support during his tenure. Their commentators spoke of DeSantis’ big victory in Florida, sharply questioning the former president’s influence.
“I love Trump. I want him to run. I think he’s a great candidate. I loved him as president.” I will walk on coals and vote against Donald Trump.”
Kayleigh McEnany, who served as White House press secretary under Trump, warned against announcing her candidacy before the Senate run-off in Georgia, where she could endorse Republican candidate Herschel Walker. Praised Mr. DeSantis as a person.
Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), who easily won re-election on Tuesday, tweeted: Stop talking around 2020.
Former Congressman Ileana Ros Retinen (R-Florida) declined to criticize Trump’s influence in the midterm elections, but described DeSantis as “the future of the party.”
“There are great candidates like Tim Scott and Marco Rubio who can run for president,” she said, referring to Republican senators from South Carolina and Florida, followed by former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and former state secretary. He mentioned Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. There is none.”
Trump continues to claim allegiance as he prepares to announce his 2024 presidential run next week. His adviser Jason Miller said on Friday’s podcast that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) is “far more proclaimed to support President Trump.”
Rep. Ellis Stefanik (RN.Y.), who is running for the leadership position, endorsed Trump in a statement on Friday. “Republican voters decide who is the Republican leader, and it is very clear that President Trump is the Republican leader,” she said.
But privately, several House Republicans have complained about Trump’s influence on some of their races, and enough elections were needed for Republican dominance. Trump has endorsed extreme candidates for the House, including Bo Hines of North Carolina and Caroline Leavitt of New Hampshire. . They stuck to false claims and other positions in the 2020 election, likely alienating voters in the general election.
Republicans in Pennsylvania and Michigan, who supported Trump in 2016, were down on Tuesday. Senator Patrick J. Toomey (Republican), who resigned and lost his seat to Democrat John Fetterman, said Trump’s influence in the state was “toxic.”
“I am increasingly of the view that his influence will wane,” Toomey said. “His influence has been so useless to the party and its prospects that I suspect last night’s election will accelerate that process.”
Republicans are asking why he insisted on holding rallies in Pennsylvania, making fun of his 2024 campaign announcement and focusing on him on the final day of the campaign. He also handpicked TV personality Mehmet Oz in the Senate primary and endorsed election-denying Doug Mastriano for gubernatorial in the subsequent primary. Both lost.
“He interfered in the primary here for no reason,” Rep. Lou Valletta (R-Pa.), an early Trump supporter who ran for gubernatorial nomination, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. told to
In Michigan, Republicans blamed the “Trump effect,” abortion and an unpopular gubernatorial candidate for poor performance in the state. The party “operated within the political realities of President Trump being popular among grassroots and a motivating factor for his supporters, but outperformed by independents in statewide votes, especially midterm elections.” provided a challenge for women,” wrote State’s Paul Cordes. Party Chief of Staff.
Former Republican House Speaker and occasional Trump critic Paul D. Ryan said the former president was a political headache for Republicans.
“In the two years Trump was voting or in office, we lost the House, the Senate and the White House,” Ryan told Wisconsin news outlets. I think he’s getting in our way in our offices and at the races.”
Even some on the alt-right took out their knives for him this week. Far-right commentator Mike Cernovich, who helped spread it, wrote:
Trump supporters are trying to deflect accusations of the poor results of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-K.), but Trump has claimed fraud in the midterms and won the Republican primary. It released a series of statements stating that it would win easily. .
He noted that many Republicans turned against him in 2016. “We are in exactly the same position now. They will keep chasing us, MAGA, but in the end we will win,” he wrote.
Theodoric Meyer contributed to this report.
