Long Island Rep. Peter King retired from Congress last year after 28 years of corrupt conservatism. This morning, he warned that it would be political malpractice to follow the crazy idea of Mark Meadows, former Republican congressman from North Carolina and Trump’s last chief of staff, that Republicans should support Trump for the next Speaker of the House. If they were to do so, Republicans would be lucky to break even in next year’s midterms instead of picking up an expected 60 to 70 House seats and taking back control of the Senate, as many political analysts now predict will happen. Similarly, it is madness for Trump and his supporters to be threatening primaries against House Republicans who voted for an Infrastructure bill which benefits their very competitive districts-- and which passed the Senate with 69 votes, thanks to the support of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and other conservative senators such as Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Roger Wicker (R-MS). To win and to be able to govern, Republicans must be a national party-- not an ideological monolith. It is time for all Republicans to follow the Reagan admonition to not speak ill of other Republicans. If Republicans are united and focus on the core issues of inflation, crime and Biden’s incompetency, they have a golden opportunity to achieve historic victories for their party and for the nation in 2022. If not, Republicans will have no one to blame but their own ideological purists."
Is Trumpism an ideology? Or just an expression of misplaced loyalty in a deranged criminal? Trump used to write checks to King-- $1,000 in 2011, $1,000 in 2012, $2,600 in 2014-- and the two of them knew each other. King supported him but never really became a Trumpist. He never gave King the really big money that came with really big strings attached-- like the $875,000he gave the Georgia GOP or the $50,000 checks he wrote for Rahm Emanuel and Mitch McConnell. But Trump is certainly not listening to King's warning now. This morning, Alex Rogers an Gabby Orr, reporting for CNN, wrote that Señor Trumpanzee "has taken his involvement in 2022 Republican primaries to a new level as he works to permanently mold the GOP in his image. Beyond Trump's public efforts to oust Republican incumbents he considers disloyal, he has quietly tried to clear potential GOP threats to his endorsed candidates and encouraged others to run against his enemies. Earlier this month, the former President enlisted the help of North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn to persuade former Rep. Mark Walker [a far right unhinged Trumpist but not the far right unhinged Trumpist who Señor T stumbled into endorsing on a whim] to end his campaign for Senate and instead run for the House, which could help Trump's preferred candidate in the GOP Senate primary, Rep. Ted Budd, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump has also had conversations in recent weeks with MAGA-aligned Republicans who are considering challenging GOP governors with whom he has grown disillusioned. The former President urged former Georgia Sen. David Perdue to run against incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp, who resisted Trump's efforts to overturn his narrow 2020 loss in the state to then-candidate Joe Biden. And he has been receptive to the prospect of Alabama Senate GOP candidate Lynda Blanchard challenging Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey."
Trump is furious that he was voted out of office and although the media talks a lot about how he wants to get revenge on Republicans who didn't help him steal the election, what he is really doing is looking for revenge against the American people.
Ex-presidents usually leave the limelight after leaving office, refraining from inserting themselves in their party primaries. But a person close to Trump likened the former President to the mob patriarch Vito Corleone in the "The Godfather" movie for his efforts to retaliate against Republicans who criticized him for inciting the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol or for voting to pass Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan. Trump has been "pulling strings behind the scenes and guiding candidates in the right direction," this person said.
Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich said the former President's endorsement "is unquestionably the most powerful force in American politics" and that Trump continues to receive endorsement requests from Republican candidates up and down the ballot. "When he endorses candidates, they win," Budowich told CNN in a statement, while declining to comment on Trump's conversations with individual or prospective candidates.
...The sharp rise in consumer prices, recent supply chain shortages and Biden's weakened approval rating has left Republicans feeling confident that they will regain both the House and Senate in next year's midterm elections.
But some strategists worry that Trump's desire to re-litigate the 2020 election could force the party to elevate candidates who look backwards, and embrace his dangerous falsehoods, rather than focusing on the most pressing issues facing voters in the 2022 midterm election.
His choices can put him at odds with the official party organizations devoted to winning governors' mansions, the House and the Senate. The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee do not support Republican candidates in open primaries, and the Republican Governors Association supports incumbents like Kemp.
"Republicans have a historic opportunity in 2022: Biden's presidency is falling apart, the generic numbers have never been this wide over the Democrats, and (House GOP Leader Kevin) McCarthy and (Senate GOP Leader Mitch) McConnell are recruiting good candidates," said longtime GOP strategist Scott Reed. "But you know, Trump keeps looking in the rearview mirror."
In at least two instances, Trump's endorsements have already caused a headache for party officials hoping to take back the Senate. Pennsylvania Senate candidate Sean Parnell, who received Trump's backing in September, suspended his campaign this week after a judge awarded Laurie Snell, his estranged wife, primary physical custody and sole legal custody of the couple's three children amid accusations that Parnell was physically abusive toward her and their children. And in Georgia, Walker, the Trump-backed Senate candidate, has faced domestic violence allegations from his ex-wife, an ex-girlfriend and a third woman. Walker and Parnell strongly denied the claims against them.
Budowich said Parnell spoke with Trump on Monday to inform him of his plans.
"#PASen remains a top priority for Pres. Trump & the '22 MAGA Map-- rallying our movement behind the best America 1st candidate remains critical," Budowich tweeted.