The Republicans were hurt, too Georgia Senate party resources are flowing, Donald Trump resents the idea that there is hardly anyone important in the Republican Party who wants him to campaign in Georgia.
Before a contest between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and his Trump-backed challenger Marcher Herschel, several GOP figures and Trump allies had already begged him not to rally in Georgia before the runoff, according to two people close to the file and another familiar person. with the situation. Trump — who Recruit Walker helped introduce himself — and his advisers have discussed the possibility of visiting Georgia, though Trump made no commitments until last week.
However, Trump suggested to those close to him that he would react badly if the Florida governor did so. Ron DeSantis — a potential nominee in 2024 — is in Georgia as the GOP keeps its undisputed leader at bay, according to the first two sources. People who have spoken to Trump recently are concerned that if DeSantis announces an event in Georgia, it will guarantee Trump will visit the state as well.
Trump has also argued vehemently with aides and confidants that his presence in the runoff would be a positive for Walker, and has accused pundits and Republicans who say he shouldn’t go to Georgia of being enemies. Trump is unintelligent.
But two years ago, when Senate control fell on two Georgia ballots, Republicans lost both, with some blaming Trump. Top party officials have publicly warned that Trump’s presence could lead to a similar outcome this time around, fearing that Trump’s low favorability among independent voters and his disapproval of the election could do more harm than good.
Consultant Jason Miller told Newsmax he advised Trump to “wait until the end of the race in Georgia.” “The Walker campaign must be our party’s priority and focus,” said Mike Biondo, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign on Fox News 2016. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, an outspoken critic of Trump, said the ad was a “terrible idea” and that anyone advising the president to move forward with his campaign plans “should get a license.”
According to a person familiar with the matter, the former chief secretly complained about AJ Fox News clip from November 9, during which former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany declined to comment on whether or not Trump should travel to Georgia — though she added that DeSantis should be “welcome to the state.” Trump saw the Fox clip, which featured a former senior administration official, as a “slap in the face,” according to the source’s description.
But the Republican had a different view. “I think if [Trump] and DeSantis [Georgia Governor Brian] “For Kemp to appear at the same rally would have been a massive show of unity for Herschel,” said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, an unofficial adviser to Trump and supporter of Walker. perfect. This will bring together all the components of the Republican Party.
It seems unlikely that the fictional assembly of Gingrich would ever happen. Trump hates both DeSantis and Kemp, who refused to join the campaign to overturn the results of the 2020 Georgia presidential election. Setting aside ambitions and grievances is not Trump’s way.
The presidential election — the Republican presidential primaries in 2024 and the Republicans’ disappointing showing in the midterm elections — has intensified the debate over Trump’s role in the party. Much of the GOP blames Trump for his poor midterm results, which many Senate and gubernatorial candidates who hoped to advance him in the primaries have failed. These ambitions complicated Trump’s fledgling presidential campaign.
The former president was already twice impeached by donor impeachment in the weeks leading up to the announcement, losing two top supporters. None of Trump’s high-profile children attended the announcement: Don Jr. was on a hunting trip, and Ivanka announced she was leaving politics altogether.
Tension was heightened by the failure of Republicans to rush Mar-a-Lago to endorse Trump’s bid for president. Sources close to Trump previously said Rolling Stone That the former president was trying to bully reluctant allies into engaging with Trump’s Agenda 2024.
as such Rolling Stone I reported earlier this monthand the Trump is tempting fiery chatter about DeSantis and another potential GOP nominee in 2024, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia. Threatened by Trump for revealing unflattering information about Florida’s governor, DeSantis was recently baptized by the nickname Ron DeSanctimonious.”
