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Let's be clear: Trump is threatening to take his MAGA base and walk if he's not the GOP nominee [1]
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Date: 2023-02-03
As weakened as Trump is today, that possibility still sends shivers down the spine of every Republican Party loyalist across the country.
In fact, fresh polling this week from The Bulwark suggested more than a quarter of Republican voters would abandon the party for Trump if he decided to mount a third-party bid. Even if that 28% of MAGA loyalists who said they plan to stick with Trump is inflated, any type of wholesale defection—say 5%-10%—would almost surely gift the White House to Democrats again in '24.
But running as an independent isn't the only way for Trump to doom Republicans. If he doesn't win the nomination, he could simply devote all his energy to trashing the nominee, the party, and the GOP "establishment," which his acolytes already despise with a white-hot rage. A simple dumpster-fire media tour would likely be enough to set the party aflame.
Trump also took time during the interview to remind listeners that none of his rival were worth more than dirt until he plucked them out of obscurity.
Former Indiana governor and vice president Mike Pence? "I took Mike out of nothing," Trump offered.
Former congressman and current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis? "Got elected because of me," Trump said. "You remember he had nothing. He was dead."
And former South Carolina governor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley—bless her heart. "Nikki suffers from something that's a very tough thing to suffer from. She's overly ambitious," Trump observed. He stopped just short of adding, and no one likes that quality in a woman.
Exactly how this will all shake out and whether Trump will defy gravity long enough to win the GOP nomination again is a mystery. But no one should doubt his ability to cripple the Republican Party if he decides he hasn't been “treated fairly” (i.e., he lost).
x Trump on Pence: "I took Mike out of nothing"
Trump on Haley: "She's overly ambitious"
Trump on DeSantis: "Got elected because of me" pic.twitter.com/C13nDZlb9s — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 3, 2023
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On this episode of The Downballot, don't miss a special double-guest episode. Hear from Tiffany Muller, the president of End Citizens United, as she discusses the group's efforts to roll back the corrupting effects of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision and their plans for campaign finance reform. Then, law professor Quinn Yeargain joins to discuss the surprising setback Gov. Kathy Hochul faced in the state capitol and what it means for the future of New York's top court.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/3/2150927/-Trump-s-already-bludgeoning-Republicans-with-threats-if-he-doesn-t-win-the-GOP-nomination
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