WASHINGTON (AP) – Donald Trump and his supporters are stepping up their efforts to dishonor, and potentially fire, party members who consider the former president unfair and their false statements that last year’s election robbed him.
On Capitol Hill, Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney, the 3rd Republican in the House, is in danger of wasting her leadership position amid her public feud with Trump. In Utah, Senator Mitt Romney, Trump’s rare enemy in the Republican Party, faced indignity over the weekend by reminding a crowd that booed him that he was once his presidential standard-bearer. And in Texas, the only brazenly anti-Trump Republican in a busy special election for a seat in Congress ended up in a humble ninth place.
Trump left the workplace just four months ago with his reputation very broken after a crowd of his supporters led a fatal event at the US Capitol. But it’s not the first time To save him certification of election results, but recent advances recommend a resurgence of his political fortune in which they refuse to stick to their lies and get defensive.
“It’s scary,” said Michael Wood, the Republican congressional candidate in Texas who crossed with a commitment to take the Republican Party beyond trump’s “personality cult. “In the end, he won only 3% of the vote in Saturday’s special election, while two Trump supporters, adding one he backed, will qualify for a run-off.
Trump’s control over the party may harden in the coming days.
In addition to his bursts of press releases, his tough Facebook account could be reset this week if an almost independent supervisory board votes in his favor. Meanwhile, Virginia Republicans will decide whether to nominate a Trump supporter as governor at one of the few milestones. elections on this year’s calendar.
A sign of the party’s leadership can reach Capitol Hill, where Cheney’s long term is questioned.
Wyoming Congresswoman, the older Republican in asking for Trump’s impe-trial, insisted that the party deserves to reject the former president’s lie that the election had been stolen. Republican state election officials and Trump’s own attorney general have said the election is fair.
But Trump remained true to his story and on Monday issued a “proclamation” in which he tried to appropriate the language his enemies use to mark their lies.
“The fraudulent 2020 presidential election will be, from this day on, like THE BIG LIE!”he wrote.
Cheney, who ruled a race in 2024, responded.
“The 2020 presidential election was not stolen. Anyone who says that this is spreading THE GREAT LIE, turns their backs on the rule of law and poisons our democratic system,” he tweeted.
Clearly, she does not aim to cut off her criticism, even if she is wasting her leadership position.
Cheney survived an earlier attempt to expel him from leadership, but it may just be another one this time. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy supported him this year, but refused to protect him as opposed to the new circular of attacks while confronting conservatives reluctant to him. It’s a sign of McCarthy’s own calculations as he tries to stay close to Trump as he seeks to expand a larger tent to help his party win the general election.
While Republican voices in trump’s favor on Capitol Hill far outweigh criticism from his party, critics cannot be dismissed.
A total of 10 House Republicans voted in favor of accusing Trump of inspiring the January 6 attack on the Capitol, and seven Senate Republicans voted to convict him. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell voted to acquit Trump, but publicly rebuked the former president and privately encouraged him to move. in.
This is another calculation for members of the congressional base, especially those representing heavily republican regions, where approximately 8 out of 10 supporters approve of Trump. Among party activists and central voters, the number is believed to be much higher.
It’s still too early to draw definitive conclusions about Trump’s good fortune, so this year, some Republican strategists privately recommend that there are genuine symptoms that the former president’s strength between the base electorate and elected officials has begun to diminish.
“It’s becoming less and less applicable every day, but among those who still pay attention to it, it’s more applicable than ever,” said Frank Luntz, a high-level Republican pollster. “Account. It will matter for months or even years, but over time it will matter less and less”.
For now, the real former TV celebrity enjoys the trip.
“It’s great to see RINO Mitt Romney booed from the level at the Utah Republican State Convention,” Trump sang in a series of celebratory statements Monday praising the effects of Texas and Cheney and Romney’s complaint. “RINO” means “Republican only in call”.
In Utah over the weekend, a hall full of Republicans had booed Romney before seeking in vain to censor him for his political judgment of Trump.
“Show respect,” the crowd rebuked through the president of the state party. Romney reminded them that he is a for-life conservative and his 2012 presidential candidate, and told them that Republicans would only harm each other by attacking each other.
“If we split our party, we’ll be a game,” he said.
In Texas, the loss of Congressional candidate Wood, a former 34-year-old, two-time Purple Heart beneficiary, sympathized with a handful of anti-Trump Republicans, adding Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Illinois Republican, former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Cheney, who had donated to Wood’s crusade and presented his ethical support.
He said Monday that there is a genuine urgency for anti-Trump Republicans to come together to oppose him.
“It can’t just be other people who grow back. We want to organize and show the public that you can be a smart Republican and not buy anything you want,” Wood said. “This match will not be won with podcasts and opinion articles. “
Mike DuHaime, a prominent Republican strata, said the party is still dealing with his identity after Trump, but argued that it would be better placed in the long run if it included conservatives like Cheney and Romney.
“There are other people who play at the base of the electorate, who are very passionate and in the big lie about elections. And all you have to do is win a number one for Congress, the Senate or the governor, or even the president, apparently. “But,” he warned, “if we focus only on this, we won’t have enough success in the general election to get the majority back. “
“We have to wear this at some point if we want to succeed in the general election. “
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People reported from New York. La the editor of The Associated Press, Lisa Mascaro, contributed to this report.
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