GOP Summer of Chaos: Republicans Attack Primary Rivals In Key Battleground States

A series of reports over the weekend detailed the latest in the GOP’s summer of chaos: Republican Senate candidates are ramping up attacks on their rivals –– and questioning Trump’s endorsements:

• In Georgia, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Agriculture Secretary Gary Black is the first Republican to “take a shot” at Trump favorite Herschel Walker.

• In North Carolina, the Washington Examiner detailed how Mark Walker “lashed out at the Club for Growth and suggested that former President Donald Trump was misled into endorsing his rival” – but “welcomed Trump’s meddling,” praising the former president and saying, “he’s still the most impactful Republican in the GOP.”

• The News & Observer further highlighted the chaos in North Carolina, reporting that the McCrory and Walker campaigns believe that “Club for Growth’s money and Trump’s endorsement are far from a sure ticket to success in Republican primaries,” voicing that Budd is a “unvetted candidate” who can’t win.

As the attacks escalate, it’s clear that the former president’s looming presence will continue to intensify GOP primaries in key Senate battlegrounds and create more headaches for Republicans.

Read more:

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Gary Black gets tough on Herschel Walker in 2022 Senate bid

• The top Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in Georgia haven’t laid a glove on Herschel Walker, the football icon edging toward a possible run for the office. Until now.

• Agriculture Secretary Gary Black, the most prominent Republican in the race, released a digital ad Monday mocking Walker’s flirtation with entering the race from his home in Texas.

• He’s the first of the trio of Republicans seeking to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock to take a shot at Walker. 

• In a statement, Black called on Walker to get off the sidelines if he’s going to run.

• “If my old schoolmate from UGA wants to join the conversation here in Georgia, I welcome hearing his ideas,” Black said. “But it takes more than pretending to change your car tags. Move here, pay taxes here, register and vote in some elections and learn what Georgians have on their minds.”

Washington Examiner: ‘Bad candidate’: Mark Walker says Trump made mistake backing North Carolina GOP Senate rival  

• Former Rep. Mark Walker lashed out at the Club for Growth and suggested that former President Donald Trump was misled into endorsing his rival for the Republican Senate nomination in North Carolina during an interview with the Washington Examiner.

• The former congressman said that “the super PAC” was similarly misjudging the North Carolina Senate primary with its endorsement of Rep. Ted Budd. Budd, also endorsed by Trump, “is a bad candidate” who Walker said will jeopardize GOP control of a seat being relinquished by retiring Sen. Richard Burr.

• Contrary to his criticism of Washington-based groups, including the Club for Growth, Walker welcomed Trump’s meddling, saying, “He’s still the most impactful Republican in the GOP.” Walker even traveled to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s winter residence in Palm Beach, Florida, in early May to ask the former president for support.

• But Walker claims that it is Budd who is unelectable and insists he can win the nod despite missing out on Trump’s endorsement.

• “I don’t think he’s electable, but also don’t think he’s effective,” Walker said. “We’ve been sending fighters to D.C. for 50 years. Why can’t we send somebody on the Senate side who can fight and knows how to win?”

News & Observer: NC Senate candidates watch Trump candidate lose Texas election

• Budd’s two main competitors — former Rep. Mark Walker and former governor Pat McCrory — could see the loss as a harbinger of things to come: that Club for Growth’s money and Trump’s endorsement are far from a sure ticket to success in Republican primaries.

• “Once again, a DC Super PAC spent millions on a candidate whose voter card they wanted to control only to be rejected by the voters,” Walker said on Twitter.

• “With the short campaign period in Texas, the Trump endorsement and Club for Growth money should have made it easier to win,” said Jordan Shaw, an adviser to McCrory’s campaign. “But the Club gave Trump bad advice and pushed him into endorsing an unvetted candidate who couldn’t win, just like they’ve done in North Carolina.”

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