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Texas loss alarms Trump advisers worried about party clout
PoliticoEarlier this month, former President Donald Trump scrawled a celebratory note on a polling memo that appeared to point to a big win for a new ally.
“David – Good! I’m all in,” Trump wrote across the top of the document to David McIntosh, the influential head of the anti-tax Club for Growth. The memo summarized a May survey showing Texas Republican Susan Wright, who Trump had endorsed at McIntosh’s recommendation during a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort, with a big 17-point lead over her Republican opponent in a House special election.
Now, Trump and his advisers are trying to figure out what Wright’s defeat means for them — and how to contain any damage. Her loss Tuesday night sent shockwaves through the former president’s inner circle. Many privately concede the pressure is on them to win another special election next week in Ohio, where a Trump-backed candidate is locked in a close primary.
Advisers worry that a second embarrassing loss would raise questions about the power of Trump’s endorsement — his most prized political commodity, which candidates from Ohio to Wyoming are scrambling to earn before next year’s midterms. More broadly, losses could undermine his standing in the Republican Party, where his popularity and influence has protected Trump’s relevance even as a former president barred from his social media megaphones.
Some in the former president’s orbit worry that he’s been too prolific in endorsing candidates running in contested primaries, potentially diminishing their overall power. Trump — who as president frequently bragged about his near-perfect record in endorsing in Republican primaries — rarely endorsed during 2020 nomination contests, and he occasionally got burned when he did, lashing out at those who urged him to back a losing candidate in a North Carolina primary. This time, Trump is getting involved early in an array of primaries, including those for Alabama and North Carolina Senate.
“David – Good! I’m all in,” Trump wrote across the top of the document to David McIntosh, the influential head of the anti-tax Club for Growth. The memo summarized a May survey showing Texas Republican Susan Wright, who Trump had endorsed at McIntosh’s recommendation during a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort, with a big 17-point lead over her Republican opponent in a House special election.
Now, Trump and his advisers are trying to figure out what Wright’s defeat means for them — and how to contain any damage. Her loss Tuesday night sent shockwaves through the former president’s inner circle. Many privately concede the pressure is on them to win another special election next week in Ohio, where a Trump-backed candidate is locked in a close primary.
Advisers worry that a second embarrassing loss would raise questions about the power of Trump’s endorsement — his most prized political commodity, which candidates from Ohio to Wyoming are scrambling to earn before next year’s midterms. More broadly, losses could undermine his standing in the Republican Party, where his popularity and influence has protected Trump’s relevance even as a former president barred from his social media megaphones.
Some in the former president’s orbit worry that he’s been too prolific in endorsing candidates running in contested primaries, potentially diminishing their overall power. Trump — who as president frequently bragged about his near-perfect record in endorsing in Republican primaries — rarely endorsed during 2020 nomination contests, and he occasionally got burned when he did, lashing out at those who urged him to back a losing candidate in a North Carolina primary. This time, Trump is getting involved early in an array of primaries, including those for Alabama and North Carolina Senate.
6 replies
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= new reply since forum marked as read
What about the routers?
Can we get the routers?
It must have been the Routers...
