'Devil's bargain': strategist says Trump endorsement wins GOP primaries but loses races

Republicans seeking endorsements from former President Donald Trump are making a "devil's bargain" that wins primaries but risks key election races, a political strategist told the Daily Beast.

Democratic strategist Max Burns described the dynamic as a paradox to which Republicans in tight races are frequently obligated to reconcile themselves, despite understanding the risk.

"In the primary, Republicans must publicly court the former president’s favor to win," Burns said. "But once they do, the candidates are trapped when they try to distance themselves from the MAGA label in the general election."

That may be why so many House Republicans have thrown their support behind Trump and so few behind his conservative presidential opponents.

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The Daily Beast reports Trump has won more than 90 House Republicans while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has just five and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley has just one from her home state of South Carolina.

“That’s the curse,” Burns told the Daily Beast. “That’s the devil’s bargain.”

A curse on one side of the aisle is a blessing on the other, Burns concluded.

“That’s nothing but good news for Democrats," Burns said. "When these candidates go before voters time and again, they’re shot down by sound margins."

Read the full op-ed over at The Daily Beast.