By far...the question that i received the most over the last two days- via email-has been:do you agree with all these people who say trump is a drain on the Republican party?
And my answer is- yes, I do-now.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s time to admit that:
A) The democrat’s relentless machine to degrade and destroy him has worked.... And
B) Many of Trump’s own actions since he left office have also contributed to it. The man has contributed to the situation he now finds himself in with 60 percent of the country saying they won’t vote for him again and with about 45 percent of the Republican party saying they want to move past him.
During his four years as president-even as we celebrated the great economy, the strong foreign policy, and the ‘winning’ that he finally produced after a string of clunker presidents from both sides of the aisle-
I was also talking about the man’s infuriating character flaws...his lack of an edit button...and the obsessions that rattle around in his brain that he cannot let go.
And years later, they have caught up with him. The Trump exhaustion from 60 to 70 percent of the country is real....and after his hand-picked candidates nearly all lost winnable races on Tuesday the negative effect that he’s having on the party is becoming more apparent.
Before election day, it looked like this decision by the Democrats to spend money to boost trump-picked candidates was going to backfire. The polls showed most of them poised to win their races. But the truth is-days later- nearly all of them lost-
And those that didn’t lose, struggled to win very winnable races.
Aside from JD Vance in Ohio- every trump hand-picked candidate was a disappointment. Bolduc lost in New Hampshire when Gov Sununu would have-romped-if he’d run for that seat.
Hershel is struggling to win a run-off. Oz lost in Pennsylvania. It hurts to say-but Tim Michels lost here. Right down the line. The Trump endorsement was a huge win for the candidates in the primaries...but a big drag on them in the generals.
Hershel walker didn’t get over 50 percent in Georgia...and neither did Raphael Warnock. And so that race now goes to a December sixth runoff-
But this is a seat in a red state that shouldn’t have been at all difficult to win back. Gov kemp won his race by what? Seven points? More?
And this is telling: trump’s allies are begging him...begging his. Not to announce his 2024 run until this runoff is over- because they know it would only further motivate the democrats.
And-get this: Georgia democrats are begging Trump-to announce.
If you remember- Trump’s bitter attacks against Kemp and Georgia republicans in 2020...likely cost the republicans this seat back, then. Warnock won the run-off during trump’s bitter attempt to overturn the Georgia results.
They’d love to see a repeat of that this year. Yes.
And so-when Trump’s closest advisors are begging him not to announce next week and Georgia’s democrats are begging him to do it....
Gee? Do you think Trump’s a drag on the Republican party now?
And again-whether you like it or not: it’s the new reality.
I said yesterday...Trump turned out to be the right candidate at the right time after 8 years of Obama malaise and a republican party that was listless and rudderless.But he’s not the right candidate for ‘the 2024 moment’.
Donald Trump refocused and reinvigorated this party....and gave us a lasting set of MAGA ideals that the party and his acolytes like DeSantis and Youngkin can follow well into the future.
The Republican party owes an awful lot to Donald Trump. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t also true that his time ‘has passed’, and that the democrat’s relentless strategy to disqualify him in the eyes of most voters didn’t work.
It did.
And sadly, Trump’s own behavior and bullying helped them do it.
That’s also true.
I’m seeing a whole slew of smart, conservative minds who were Trump supporters over the course of his presidency. Now saying...he’s a drag on the party.
Forget the never-Trumpers. They’ve never had a good bead on Trump’s value to the party and to the movement.
This is what I was saying yesterday, and I suspect, will be saying a lot over the next two years: if the GOP grassroots digs in and-by God-nominates a man who 60 percent of the country won’t vote for and who cannot win- what’s the point of that?
Folks...I know diehard trump fans are going to be angry with me and the Rino and never-Trump smears will be flying but I don’t want to lose -another- round of elections just to prove to trump supporters that nominating trump again would be a mistake-
And i fear that’s where most of the grassroots and most of the party insiders are going to fall: other elected leaders won’t want to say it and risk the wrath of Trump...and so...what? We all quietly sit by as trump wins the nom-loses the general. And we get four more years of pseudo-socialism.... just so we can say ‘see? Now trump’s gotta go away’.
I don’t know about you- but I do not want to lose what is going to be a -very-winnable race in 2024...just because we gotta prove to trump and his cultists that he ‘wasn’t the guy’ for the moment.
And i fear that’s what it’s going to take.
Four more years! Of dem control after this coming two just to prove to half of GOP party members that trump’s time is over?
His influence on the party. His putting America first ‘MAGA ideals’. His fighting spirit-will endure...but we gotta lose again to ‘prove’ a 3rd trump run was a mistake?
And here’s the kicker: trump’s chances in 24 are bleak but we have trump acolytes who are shining stars- like DeSantis, Youngkin, Abbott, etc. One of them would still be the one to be nominated. It won’t be pence or Haley or rubio. Or one of the more traditional neo-cons, anyway. It’ll be a trump acolyte who proved they can be more level-headed and appealing than trump.
That’s the kicker; Trumpism will endure.
Yep. So let the Trump clones take the MAGA message to a wider range of people....and keep growing the GOP tent instead of doing what trump does which is preach only to his most ardent supporters...and talk about ‘owning the left’.
The way we will ‘own the left’ is by growing the GOP brand and winning close elections in a very divided country and in very divided states like Wisconsin.
DeSantis proved he can do it. Youngkin did. Kemp did...etc.
They are the future of the party-not trump.
One of them might touch off 8 years of conservative policy and a new run of conservatism. Trump-at most-could squeak out four more...and then would have no mandate to do anything...and would have an enraged left and an embittered republican congress that would guarantee he’d get nothing done.
All he’s done is trash McConnell, McCarthy, and the leaders of the party who just engineered more wins for the GOP on Tuesday. Do you think they’re going to want to work with trump when he bullied his way into a second term and is now more motivated than ever to trash them and end their careers?
Not a chance.
Nothing about a second trump term makes sense when we have far better options. Unlike the dems-we are not desperate-for other rock star candidates. Trump just needs to step aside and nurture them instead of trashing them due to his own pettiness and insecurities.
photo credit: Getty Images
Here's a sample of the texts:
I'm with Jay 100%! Loved what Trump did in the four years he was in but it's time to move on!
My God. You talk about the current republican "leaders " like they're on our side. They are not! They, like you, are weak, long-term politicians. We've had enough of the status quo.
The number 1 thing to consider when picking a candidate in the primary is "Can they win the general". If you pick a guy who you really like without considering if they can win the whole thing, what is the point.
Good morning! I voted for Trump twice but I do not believe he can win a general election! Too many people on both sides will absolutely not vote for him!! DeSantis 2024🇺🇸
You are such a divider of the republican party you should be focusing your shows on we need to get the vote out efforts when you can go to college campuses and set up every day voting centers for the college kids we're never going to win an election again you are a divider Charlie Sykes
Trump is proving how undisciplined he his. He was for the country in 2016 and 2020. He's for himself this time around. Coming from a two-time Trump voter.
Good morning Jay, Re: Independents I feel like I'm living in the Twilight Zone. Given the damage that Biden has wrecked on this country in the past 2 years how could Independents possibly vote for more from the Democrats? Never mind that Trump had this country running like a fine tuned watch! I'm confused. Enjoy your weekend, Jay and bundle up!
My God. You talk about the current republican "leaders " like they're on our side. They are not! They, like you, are weak, long-term politicians. We've had enough of the status quo.
Jay is spot on with his Trump analysis! I was a Trump supporter up until yesterday. His childish behavior is inexcusable as too much is at stake. DeSantis 2024!!
Jay, I was driving. I 100% agree with everything you stated about Trump. He did great things for our country. He is running for the wrong reasons. He is on a vendetta about 2020. We are moving on from 2020. He is stuck on 2020. His persona has changed. He is toxic to our party. He needs to sail off into the sunset We will not win with him