Trump solves McConnell, MAGA promises primary challengers

Former President TrumpDonald TrumpMichigan Democrat Dingell On Violent Rhetoric: ‘I’ve Had Men With Assault Weapons In Front Of My House’ McConnell Won’t Rule Out Getting Involved in Republican Primaries 75 percent of Republicans want Trump to feature prominently in GOP: poll MORE Tuesday unloaded on Senate leader minorities Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell McConnell does not rule out getting involved in Republican primaries McConnell defends acquittal in WSJ opinion piece, but blows out Trump’s ‘unhinged lies’ Biden promises action on guns amid resistance MORE (R-Ky.) And promised to back challengers to lawmakers who crossed him.

In a statement released through his Save America super PAC, Trump blamed McConnell for the GOP’s losses in the Senate in 2020 and called on Republicans to elect new leaders to continue his legacy.

“Mitch is a stiff, gruff and unsmiling political hacker, and if Republican senators stick with him, they won’t win anymore,” Trump said.

“He will never do what needs to be done or what is right for our country. Where necessary and appropriate, I will support primary rivals who embrace Making America Great Again and our America First policies. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful and compassionate leadership, ”Trump said.

The statement came days after McConnell ripped up the former president in a Senate speech after voting to acquit him of charges of inciting a mob to attack the Capitol. Despite his vote, McConnell said Trump was “practically and morally” responsible for the deadly siege.

McConnell also left open the possibility that Trump could be charged with civil or criminal charges for his role in the riots, even though he was acquitted by the Senate.

“The leader of the free world cannot spend weeks thundering that shadowy forces are stealing our land and then feigning surprise,” McConnell said.

President Trump is still accountable for everything he did while in office, as a commoner, unless the statute of limitations has expired. [He] didn’t get away with anything yet, ”McConnell added.

McConnell has said he and Trump have not spoken since mid-December as tensions increased over the former president’s baseless claims that the election had been stolen from him.

The comments of the GOP Senate leader, widely regarded as a skilled political tactician, gave a clear signal from the impeachment remarks that he believes the party must forge an identity separate from Trump’s in order to remain competitive in future elections.

The bad blood between Trump and McConnell, who had a prolific alliance while Trump was in office, could foreshadow civil war within a party set in primaries across the country as the GOP looks for a way out now. Trump is not in the office.

Only seven Republican senators joined all 50 Democrats to condemn Trump, while McConnell and 42 other Republicans voted to be acquitted. It took two-thirds of the vote to find Trump guilty.

Trump remains hugely popular with the grassroots and he has incentivized conservatives to get in record numbers.

But Democrats have also hit record numbers in the Trump years, and many mainstream Republicans view the former president as politically toxic with independents, moderates, women, and suburban voters needing them to bring back majorities in the House and Senate. to win.

Trump gave the clearest signal yet on Tuesday that he intends to exert his influence on the party by going after critics.

The former president condemned McConnell, saying that the GOP leader’s “lack of political acumen, wisdom, skill, and personality has quickly driven him from Majority Leader to Minority Leader.”

“It’s only getting worse … We know our America First agenda is a winner, not McConnell’s Beltway First agenda or Biden’s America Last,” Trump said.

Trump also boasted receiving the most votes for any incumbent president in history, claiming that his presence had “single-handedly” saved “at least 12 seats in the Senate” over the course of his tenure.

The former president urged Republicans to elect new leaders who would be true to his vision for the party.

“The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political ‘leaders’ like Senator Mitch McConnell at the helm,” Trump said.

“He’s destroying the Republican side of the Senate, hurting our country badly … He doesn’t have what it takes, never did and never will.”

All of the GOP senators who voted to condemn Trump have faced criticism from Republicans in their states, with some facing disapproval resolutions from their state parties.

Meaning. Richard BurrRichard Mauze Burr North Carolina Republican Party Votes To Convict Burr For Convicting Trump Maine GOP To Consider Convicting Collins Over Vote To Convict Trump Iowa Republican Announces Senate Bid With Grassley’s 2022 Plans Unclear MORE (RN.C.) and Bill CassidyBill CassidyNorth Carolina Republican Party Votes To Convict Burr For Convicting Trump Maine GOP For Considering Condemning Collins Over The Vote To Convict Trump Ex-Sen Jeff Flake calls on the Republican Party to leave Trump: ‘We should have condemned him MORE’ (R-La.) Have been censored by their state parties for voting to condemn Trump. State parties in Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Maine plan to discuss possible punitive action against Sens. Ben SasseBen SasseCassidy: Clearly Trump ‘Wished Lawmakers to Be Harassed’ North Carolina GOP Convicts Burr for Impeaching Trump Toomey Over Trump Vote: ‘His Treason to the Constitution’ Required Conviction MORE (R-Neb.), Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyToomey censored by several Pennsylvania County GOP committees for impeachment vote Toomey on Trump vote: ‘His treason to the constitution’ required conviction Romney over impeachment vote to condemn: ‘Trump turned on uprising’ MORE (R-Pa.) And Susan CollinsSusan Margaret Collins North Carolina Republican Party Votes To Convict Burr For Convicting Trump Maine GOP To Consider Convicting Collins Over Vote To Convict Trump Cassidy: Clearly Trump ‘Wished Lawmakers to Be Harassed’ MORE (R-Maine), who also voted to convict.

State parties have already censored Reps. Liz CheneyElizabeth (Liz) Lynn Cheney Juan Williams: Bring Common Sense Back To The GOP Rahm Emanuel Predicts Trump Will Seek Retaliation Against GOP Opponents, Won’t Run For Re-election Republicans In Forming Third Party: Don’t Count On It MORE (Wyo.) And Tom RiceHugh (Tom) Thompson RiceGOP senator warns his side must choose between ‘conservatism and madness’. Here are the GOP lawmakers being censored by the Republicans for impeaching Trump South Carolina GOP votes to Rep. Rice on the impeachment vote MORE (RS.C.) for their votes to impeach Trump. The former president’s allies in the House tried to get rid of Cheney from her leadership position and have already started campaigning against her.

Her. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann Murkowski Juan Williams: Bring sanity back to the GOP Klobuchar: Impeachment Trial ‘was about not hiding history’ Cassidy: Clearly Trump ‘wished lawmakers’ to be ‘MORE intimidated’ (Alaska) is the only GOP senator to vote to convict who is eligible for re-election this year, and Trump’s allies say she will almost certainly face a primary challenger.

Murkowski has said she doesn’t feel at home in a GOP that she says seems especially loyal to Trump.

State party leaders have defended the punitive measures, saying they are inundated with outrage from their constituents who are outraged by the lawmakers who did not defend Trump.

North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley said Tuesday that “hundreds of volunteers and activists” have reached out to him to express disappointment with Burr following his vote in favor of the conviction, which resulted in the state party’s disapproval.

Sasse, a conservative who has been an unwavering critic of Trump, acknowledged on Tuesday that it is still Trump’s party.

“If you look at polls in the short term, it certainly seems like that,” Sasse said on NPR.

But he urged Republicans to think about being more than a party focused on “Donald Trump’s personality.”

“I think there are a lot of things the Lincoln and Reagan party needs to do to convince people that we have a 2030 agenda, not a 20-minute Twitter agenda,” Sasse said.

GOP strategists are concerned about the increasingly likely possibility of an ugly primary season between Trump loyalists and those who believe the party must pass the former president to be successful.

“Republicans need to stop fighting yesterday’s losing battles again and focus on tomorrow,” said GOP strategist Colin Reed. “To gain relevance – and more importantly the ability to rule – Republicans need to direct their energies outward, not on each other. Until we do, we’ll just scream in the wind, and President BidenJoe BidenMcConnell does not rule out his involvement in Republican primaries. Perdue Files Paperwork to Investigate Senate in 2022 Hillicon Valley: Parler Announces Official Relaunch | Google Signs News Payment Agreement With Major Australian Media Company | China is at the center of the GOP efforts to push back Biden MOREAnd the Democrats will enjoy every minute of it. “