Republican leaders are struggling to unify a deeply fractured GOP, fearing that the failure to do so quickly will ignite an intra-party battle that could sabotage their chances of reclaiming the House, Senate and presidency in the coming years.
The leader of the minority house Kevin McCarthy
The empowerment of a former official is based on a shaky precedent Lou Loubs beats “petty” Republicans criticizing Trump Marjorie Taylor Greene supports Trump’s call amid a growing reaction MORE (R-California) urges members of its conference to stop attacking each other following the January 6 riots in the US Chapter President Trump
Donald Trump Kelli Ward Rejects Arizona GOP Race Audit Request Gun Sales Rise on Pandemic Uncertainty Biden’s Oath to Weapons Reform Top Prosecution Lawyer Trump Bowers Leaves Team: Reports MOREthe accusation. He met with Trump in Florida on Thursday as part of an effort to ease tensions within the GOP.
Meanwhile, chair of the Republican National Committee Ronna McDaniel
Ronna Romney McDaniel Lou Dobbs beats the “little” Republicans who criticize Trump’s president The GOP has asked Trump not to form third parties on the last day of his term: reports The Hill’s Morning Report – Dems trial trial; January becomes the deadliest month of the MORE pandemic also calls for an end to feuds, warning that emerging struggles for ideological and political purity could jeopardize the party’s chances of regaining its majority in the House and Senate in 2022.
“If we fight each other every day and attack each other and border on party purism, we will not achieve what we need to win back the House and take over the Senate, and that is my priority,” said McDaniel, who was elected to a his third term as senior GOP national officer earlier this month, he told the Associated Press in an interview.
The rupture in the GOP, which has spent the past four years almost entirely focused on Trump and his re-election, became apparent earlier this month after a crowd of Trump supporters stormed the Chapter as members of Congress s – met to certify President Biden’s election victory.
This episode sparked a debate among many Republicans about the future of the GOP and whether it should look beyond Trump and his conservative populism brand, which guided the 2016 party.
But Trump’s base of ultra-loyal supporters remains a critical force in Republican politics. Many of the activists who have entered the political scene in recent years now have a huge influence on the party and have tried to punish or clean up those Republicans they believe have overthrown the former president.
In states such as Massachusetts and Arizona, GOP members have tried to formally rebuke top Republican figures for criticizing Trump or acting in a way that does not align with the former president’s wishes. Governor Arizona Doug Ducey
Doug DuceySunday shows preview: new COVID-19 variants widespread in the USA; Redeemers shake Wall Street with Gamestop South Carolina GOP shares vote to censor rep. Rice for impeachment vote Lawmakers go after governors to curtail COVID-19 powers MORE (R), for example, was censored by the state GOP for implementing emergency restrictions in an effort to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Rep. Liz Cheney
Elizabeth (Liz) Lynn Cheney South Carolina GOP votes to censor rep. Rice for impeachment vote Hill’s report 12:30 – Presented by Facebook – Experts react to J&J vaccine data Where is the Republican Party in Barry Goldwater when we need it? MORE (Wyo.), The speaker of the House Republican Conference and one of 10 members of the GOP who will vote for Trump’s accusation, is facing demands for the removal of his leadership position by some in her party.
Another Republican MP, Rep. Adam Kinzinger
Adam Daniel Kinzinger Sunday shows preview: new COVID-19 variants widespread in the USA; Redditors shake Wall Street with Gamestop Memo shares: Center-right Republicans fear party heading for disaster GOP has growing problem with Marjorie Taylor Greene MORE (R-Ill.) Acknowledged this week that his vote to charge the former president could prove “terminal” in his political career, suggesting he may face a primary challenge next year.
“I’ll tell anyone who thinks my vote was for politics, they don’t know me,” Kinzinger said in an episode of The Ax Files podcast. “And I would say now that I don’t know politics because, you know, you have to go through a primary.”
Censuses, major threats and accusations of disloyalty to Trump have shaken party leaders and agents who fear the fiefdom could undermine their chances of regaining power in the House and Senate next year.
“The party is basically the safety team. So now we start each race a little behind because of the divisive rhetoric, the purge, the gratuitous attacks on party members, “said a GOP agent. “So, yes, it’s pretty clear that we need to control this.”
The current strategy, the agent said, is to avoid escalating tensions with Trump and his supporters, while avoiding further isolation of those hoping to get past the Trump years.
Leader of minorities in the Senate Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Lou Dobbs beats “petty” Republicans who criticize Trump Biden rekindle immigration fight in Congress Louise Linton plays a sex-obsessed hedge fund manager in her MORE writer-director debut (R-Ky.), Who publicly blamed Trump last week for provoking the Capitol revolt, joined the vast majority of Senate Republicans in the vote to reject the House’s indictment against the former president.
Meanwhile, McCarthy’s meeting with Trump on Thursday could be seen as an attempt to return to the good graces of the former president after a few rocky weeks. Given the influence of Trump’s voter base on GOP policy, failure to do so could damage the political prospects of House Republicans.
A statement released after the Trump administration’s political action meeting in Florida on Thursday said the former president had agreed to help McCarthy regain a majority in the House in 2022.
Republicans only need a handful of seats to regain their majority in the lower house.
However, regaining the Senate may prove more difficult for the GOP. Democrats currently hold only the narrowest majorities in the upper house, but are facing a friendlier map in the upcoming by-elections. Republicans, on the other hand, have to defend 20 seats, including several in competitive states.
Leading the GOP’s efforts to regain the upper house is Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida), who became the new chairman of the Republican National Senate Committee (NRSC) earlier this month.
Scott was one of Trump’s strongest allies in the Senate and one of several senators who this month opposed the certification of the Pennsylvania Electoral College vote after the Jan. 6 riot. That vote caused some Republicans to worry about its role in the NRSC, given the commitments of several large donors to suspend the contributions of those who voted against approving the election results.
But despite support for the former president, he said last week that he would support current senators in the face of Trump-favored primary provocateurs, saying he intends to focus his efforts on defeating Democrats rather than intra-party battles.
“Part of what I’m trying to do is get everyone to focus on, you know, what the difference is between Republicans and Democrats,” Scott said. “I think Biden will be clear on many things.”
In his interview with the AP this week, McDaniel also said that the national GOP will remain neutral in the 2024 presidential primary, even if Trump decides to launch another bid for the White House, giving a hint as to how the party could try to calm down. factions competition in the future.
“The party must remain neutral. I’m not telling anyone to run or not run in 2024, “McDaniel said. “It will depend on the respective candidates. Which I really want to see [Trump] however, it helps us win back the majorities in 2022. ”
The release of both Trump’s loyalists and those ready to step down is a high order. But Republicans have also acknowledged that this will not be the first time they have had to find such a balance.
“There are always more factions, divisions in any party,” said Saul Anuzis, a Michigan Republican strategist and former state GOP president. “We have factions based on congressional districts, partisan policies, personalities.”
“We need to work on coalition policy,” he added. “We have to try to bring the party together. We cannot afford to set aside one faction or another. ”