ICYMI: Trump endorsements jolt GOP races [POLITICO]

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

POLITICO: Trump endorsements jolt GOP races
By Marc Caputo and Meridith McGraw
September 17, 2021

Key Points:

• Donald Trump is endorsing candidates in party primary elections all the way down the ballot, a level of involvement that’s virtually unheard of among recent former presidents.

• What’s even more unusual is that the political goals of the GOP’s de facto leader aren’t necessarily in sync with his own party — in some cases, they are starkly at odds.

• If there’s a thread running through nearly all of Trump’s endorsements, it is his habit of rewarding allies and punishing enemies.

• To some Republicans, Trump’s efforts to take down GOP incumbents in federal and state races are at odds with the party’s interests.

• “Donald Trump is continuing to add to the chaos in the Republican Party. It’s confusing the average Republican voter,” said Georgia GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.

• Trump’s involvement in Senate and House primaries against incumbents puts him in conflict with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who have a mandate to protect their members.

• Trump’s aggressive role in open Senate primaries is already exacerbating tensions with McConnell, who has made clear that electability — not fealty to Trump — should be the top standard in supporting a candidate.

• Former Rep. Ryan Costello, who is considering a bid for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat…[said,] “In swing seats, you could have a Trump candidate win the primary and lose the general because Trump is so toxic. That doesn’t bother Trump. But it’s a problem when we want to win more seats in the midterm.”

See also: Los Angeles Times: Trump still wins elections — for Democrats — and other California recall lessons; The Hill: Trump’s election fraud claims pose risks for GOP in midterms; Wall Street Journal: Will Trumpism Dominate the GOP Future—and Will Trump?; CNN: McConnell carefully choosing battles in Trump proxy war for the midterms; POLITICO: Trump acolytes poised to push out Senate dealmakers.  

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