Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are expressing mixed opinions on whether and when they would like Donald Trump to announce a second bid for the presidency, though most, even if not enthusiastic at the prospect, are not willing to publicly oppose another Trump run.
According to Politico, which spoke with over 12 GOP leaders in both houses of Congress, only three senior leaders in the House said they would quickly get behind Trump in a 2024 primary. In the Senate, none of the expected five Republican leaders have said they would immediately endorse Trump.
Nevertheless, none of them said they would oppose the 45th president or support a different candidate.
The three GOP members of the House who put their weight behind Trump were Representative Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), chair of the House Republican Conference and the House’s Number 3 Republican; Representative Richard Hudson (N.C.), the conference secretary; and Representative Jim Banks (Ind.), chair of the Republican Study Committee. These three said they will endorse Trump as soon as he gets in the race.
“If President Trump runs, he has my support,” Banks told Politico. “And he helps us draw out Trump voters which helps us win in November in the midterm…. He’s more popular than he’s ever been before.”
“I support President Trump running in 2024,” Stefanik told the outlet, saying she would support him over any other candidate.
Most were more reserved in saying whom they would support.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), who’s aiming for a spot in leadership next year, said: “[Trump] was more of a blank slate back then. As in any candidate, you pick up good and bad as you’re serving. And so he’s going to have that dimension that he didn’t have before. 2024 is a raw opportunity for the presidency to switch parties, so there’s gonna be a lot of fighting for that.”
Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is on Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) leadership team and considered a potential successor, told Politico he hopes Trump will wait until after the midterms before making any announcement:
“There’s a verse in the Bible that says, ‘sufficient unto the day as the evil thereof.’ So I’m not going to worry about what could happen in the future. I hope he waits until after the midterms to make a decision.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) echoed Cornyn’s sentiment.
“I’m focused on this election,” McCarthy said, while Scalise told the outlet, “Let’s get through November. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of talk about 2024 right after that.”
Several Republicans were of the opinion that Trump getting in the race at this time would place the focus on him instead of on Biden’s record, hurting the GOP’s chances at taking back the House and potentially the Senate in November.
A few of the Republicans interviewed, however, took the opposite view to Cornyn’s, believing an early Trump announcement would be good for the party. Banks said he believes such a move would motivate more GOP voters to head to the polls in the midterms this November. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has also previously expressed support for an early Trump announcement.
At least one Republican expressed being less than fond of Trump. Representative Don Bacon (Neb.), who has said before he won’t support Trump for a second presidential run, has publicly voiced his hope that former Vice President Mike Pence will put his hat in the ring.
Senator Joni Ernst (Iowa), the Number 5 Republican in the House, was more vague, telling Politico: “I’ve heard a lot of people that really want to look at some fresh blood. I’m sure we’ll have some of the same folks engaging in the opportunity. It’s an open opportunity for everyone.”
Regardless of whether Donald Trump decides to run and whether he would be able to regain the presidency if he were the Republican nominee, it’s clear that those within the party — especially the leadership — who are opposed to his candidacy are opposed to him because they detest his America First brand of politicking and prefer the corporate-owned status quo of open borders and neocon foreign interventionism that had defined the GOP for years before Trump entered the scene.
