Allies of former President Trump
Donald TrumpFederal prosecutors investigated Proud Boys ties to Roger Stone in 2019 case: CNN Overnight Defense: One-third of service members decline coronavirus vaccine | Biden to take executive action in response to Solar Winds hack | US, Japan reach cost sharing agreement Trump 'won't say yet' if he's running in 2024 MORE say he’s determined to make life miserable for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump 'won't say yet' if he's running in 2024 On The Trail: Trump threatens a Tea Party redux Trump to appear on conservative networks in wake of Limbaugh's death MORE (R-Ky.).
Trump’s political machine, which has $60 million in a super PAC and an unmatched grassroots fundraising apparatus, is vowing to go aggressively after GOP lawmakers in primaries in the wake of an unprecedented feud between the nation’s two most powerful Republicans.
Trump was prepared to give McConnell a pass, sources in his orbit stated, after he gave a blistering post-impeachment floor speech saying the former president was “practically and morally” responsible for the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol that led to five deaths and the evacuation of Congress.
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But McConnell’s follow-up op-ed knocking Trump in The Wall Street Journal was the final straw, provoking a blistering response in which the former president insulted McConnell and his family and threatened to back primary challengers against GOP incumbents.
“Our goal is to win back the House and Senate,” said Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump. “We’ll be looking at open seats, Democratic-held seats, and maybe there are places where we look for upgrades and more MAGA-friendly voices. I have no idea why McConnell decided to lash out at the president this way, but when you do, you can expect to get hit back.”
Trump and his team do not have a GOP targets list yet and are only in the early stages of sketching out a plan.
But Trump’s allies say McConnell has unquestionably made life much more difficult for many in his caucus. They say that in addition to anti-Trump lawmakers, some longstanding members that might not have been primaried are more likely to draw challengers now.
“What he’s done has made it more likely that members of his caucus will get primary challenges and he's undoubtedly made Rick Scott's job at the NRSC much more difficult,” said one GOP consultant. “It’s a clear case of Leader McConnell putting his petty personal feud with Donald Trump ahead of the well-being of his Republican members in the Senate and it’s unforgivable.”
Trump had a 98 percent success rate in the 2020 primary cycle, according to data kept by the 538 website.
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In addition to his super PAC, Trump is surrounded by a small team of advisers that includes the firm launched by his former White House political director, Bill StepienBill StepienState parties seek to punish anti-Trump Republicans Trump's refusal to concede sows confusion among staff Biden to campaign in Georgia for Democrats in Senate runoffs MORE.
Trump’s allies say they’ve learned their lesson from previous rebellions, including Steve Bannon
Stephen (Steve) Kevin BannonHouse Democrats renew push for checks on presidential pardons Dominion spokesman: MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell 'is begging to be sued' Hillicon Valley: Biden: US taking 'urgent' steps to improve cybersecurity | Democrat warns tech companies to 'step up' or risk Section 230 changes | California court rejects suit challenging state's new rules for gig workers MORE’s 2018 anti-establishment push, and will look for more polished candidates that can win in primaries as well as in general elections.
In addition to recruits, they believe some primary challengers will emerge organically in response to Trump’s rallying cry.
They expect Trump will use his bully pulpit to clear crowded lanes of pro-Trump primary challengers to ensure the field is not divided against the incumbent.
Pro-Trump lawmakers say they expect a battle going forward.
“If you're a never-Trumper, anti-Trump, kind of person, you're gonna have a tough time winning in a primary going forward — that’s just the way it is,” said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).
“President Trump still is the most potent Republican force and what should be happening is…as a party, you kind of revere and hold up your former head of your party, in this case the former president, as a standard bearer,” Biggs said. “You don't bury them, and you don't try to diss them and all of their supporters.”
McConnell’s contempt for Trump dripped out of his floor statement less than a week ago, but the veteran GOP leader’s allies are downplaying the tension, saying they share with Trump the underlying goal of getting Republicans back in power.
They say there will be instances of overlap, where the pro-Trump and establishment candidates are one and the same. Former Sen. David Perdue
David PerduePerdue on potential 2022 run: GOP must regain the Senate The Hill's Morning Report - With trial over, Biden renews push for COVID-19 bill Perdue files paperwork to explore 2022 Senate run MORE (R-Ga.), who is considering running again in 2022, is an example of a candidate with crossover appeal.
And they point to McConnell’s reputation as a shrewd political tactician to dismiss Trump’s call for new leadership.
“[Trump’s] not going to teach anything to Mitch McConnell about winning,” Josh Holmes, a former adviser to McConnell, said Wednesday on Fox News. “You'll recall the Senate had majorities — big majorities — when President Trump arrived. They had a House majority as well. When he left, they had neither.”
The view of Trump and his allies is that those big majorities were built on Trump’s popularity.
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Either way, McConnell has taken care to rip Trump and the mob at the Capitol, but not Trump supporters.
In McConnell’s floor speech, pointed out that he was not disparaging Trump’s movement, only the former president’s behavior and the behavior of those that sacked the Capitol.
The Senate GOP leader appears to be trying to shake the party loose of the fringe candidates that have had recent success, such as Rep. Marjorie Greene Taylor (R-Ga.).
But Holmes acknowledged the chasm that has opened up, and said it is in the party’s best interests for Trump and McConnell to be pulling in the same direction.
“The two of them working together were a great team,” Holmes said. “They're going to have to figure out how to bring those two sides of the party back together again.”
Trump and McConnell could be working against each other at a time when Republicans have designs on winning back majorities in the House and Senate.
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Republicans are deeply divided heading into the midterms when they should be united behind their shared opposition to President Biden
Joe BidenFeds investigating Cuomo's handling of nursing home outbreaks Overnight Defense: One-third of service members decline coronavirus vaccine | Biden to take executive action in response to Solar Winds hack | US, Japan reach cost sharing agreement On The Money: Biden faces backlash from left on student loans | Where things stand on the COVID-19 relief measure | Retail sales rebound MORE’s agenda.
McConnell, who is used to having broad support from within his own caucus, has suffered some blowback for rebuking Trump, who remains enormously popular among Republican voters.
“[McConnell’s] speech I don’t think is a widely shared view of President Trump by most Republicans,” Sen. Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin GrahamRiot probe to likely focus on McCarthy-Trump call Graham: Lara Trump is biggest winner of impeachment trial Congressional Democrats say Trump acquittal was foregone conclusion MORE (R-S.C.) said Tuesday night on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity.”
“They’re now at each other's throats,” he added. “I’m more worried about 2022 than I’ve ever been. I don’t want to eat our own. Trump is the most consequential Republican in the party. If Mitch McConnell doesn’t understand that, he’s missing a lot.”
In separate cable interviews on Wednesday, Sen. Tim Scott
Timothy (Tim) Eugene ScottWill the post-Trump GOP party be coming anytime soon? Senate panel advances Biden's education and labor secretary picks The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by TikTok - New video of riot unnerves many senators MORE (R-S.C.) called Trump “the most powerful political figure on either side” and Sen. John Barrasso
John Anthony BarrassoOVERNIGHT ENERGY: DOJ to let companies pay for environmental projects again to reduce fines | House Democrats reintroduce green energy tax package Republicans seek to play offense in vote-a-rama Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, Blumenauer aim to require Biden to declare climate emergency MORE (R-Wyo.) said the GOP must “stick together” if it hopes to have success at the ballot box.
“In this case, leader McConnell speaks for himself,” Sen. Ron Johnson
Ronald (Ron) Harold JohnsonOssoff named chairman of Senate investigations subcommittee Milwaukee Bucks exec announces run for Johnson's Senate seat Democratic Senate campaign arm taps new staff leaders MORE (R-Wis.) said on the Ross Kaminsky Show. “I don’t think he speaks for the conference…when the leader of the Senate conference speaks, he has to understand what he says reflects on all of us and I didn’t appreciate the comments.”
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Elsewhere in the party, GOP moderates that voted to convict Trump are pleading with Republicans to move past the former president.
“I think we need to get away from the idea that the Republican Party is just one person and adherence to just one leader,” Sen. Susan Collins
Susan Margaret CollinsCollins says GOP should move away from being about 'just one person' Trump unloads on McConnell, promises MAGA primary challengers State parties seek to punish anti-Trump Republicans MORE (R-Maine) said on WMTW in Bangor. “Instead, it’s principles, it’s fundamentals that bring us together.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann MurkowskiHow Democrats can ensure Trump never runs again Trump unloads on McConnell, promises MAGA primary challengers State parties seek to punish anti-Trump Republicans MORE (R-Alaska), who is up for reelection in 2022 and like Collins voted for Trump’s conviction in the impeachment trial, said the GOP is struggling to “find our center again.”
“If the Republican Party is no more than the party of a person, the party of Donald Trump and not a party of principles that causes me to question where do I fit in that,” she told The Juneau Empire. “The Republican Party was a good party, a solid party based on solid principles I identify with. We were a good party before Donald Trump and we’ll be a good party after Donald Trump.”
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