Opinion
Several reports published in recent days indicate moderate Republicans are worried about Donald Trump winning in 2024, with one lawmaker even responding “shit yeah” they’re concerned.
Think about that for a minute. Some Republicans are terrified of the man their own voters are clamoring for.
Various reports by Politico, the Daily Mail, and the Hill all capture the same theme.
Politico writes that some GOP lawmakers are worried about having to answer “uncomfortable questions” as they attempt “distancing themselves and downplaying (Trump’s) remarks.”
The report is punctuated by a gem of a quote by Representative David Joyce (R-OH).
“Shit, yeah,” Joyce told the outlet when asked if some are concerned, before laughing. “The orange Jesus?”
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Trump Has Moderate Republicans Worried
Joyce’s comments may have been a quip referencing a recent story about a colleague calling Trump the “Orange Jesus,” a claim made by former Representative Liz Cheney in her new book.
Cheney is worried that Trump could win, claiming his return to the White House is evidence that Americans are “sleepwalking into dictatorship.”
Another report by the Daily Mail suggests moderate Republicans “are prepared for former President Donald Trump to wreak havoc on their lives yet again.”
The Hill also adds retiring Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) to the mix of those who hope Republican voters will somehow move on from the era of Trump.
Romney instead is quoted as cheering on former UN ambassador Nikki Haley as the outlet notes he “has urged Republican donors to coalesce around an alternative to Trump as early as possible.”
GOP donors have, like their congressional colleagues, been all-too willing to turn their backs on Republican voters.
As reported by The Political Insider, several Republican donors have shifted their support from Florida governor Ron DeSantis – whom they originally viewed as the best chance to take down Trump – and are now hailing Haley as the best option.
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Moderate Republicans Worried About a Revenge Tour
It appears these reports are indicating a lot of the moderate Republicans concerned about a Trump resurgence are most worried about the former President going on a ‘revenge tour.’
Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID) claims several lawmakers on his party’s side dread Trump’s return to the political spotlight adding that his colleagues worry about “four years of revenge.”
The problem is, that voters want some revenge, too. Or rather, they’d like to see Republicans fight for once in their lives. And that’s what the GOP doesn’t want – to actually do anything. To take on Democrats rather than siding with them.
In a fundraising email distributed earlier this week, the Trump campaign references moderate Republicans’ push to stop him as well as the donor shift to Haley.
It points to some reports that Democrat donors are trying to boost Haley as well.
“Democrat donors are quietly colluding with the RINO globalist donors to try and stop” Trump the email reads.
But, as Politico writes, polls seem to suggest these moderate Republicans may face exactly what they fear – another four years of a Trump presidency.
“With Trump far ahead of the GOP primary pack and leading President Joe Biden in some polls, Republicans are getting a preview of future shellshock akin to their experiences in 2016 and his presidency,” they explain.
“It’s likely to continue for the next 11 months. And perhaps four more years after that.”
Those who can’t hack pressure and scrutiny are free to leave Congress. The stakes are too high for those who can’t simply stand up for the same conservative values Trump will try to restore.
