'He complicates everything so much': Top GOP donors frustrated Trump won't go away

As Republicans head down to Mar-a-Lago to court Donald Trump in the hopes of getting his endorsement for the upcoming 2022 midterms elections, a veteran Republican fund-raiser from Texas lamented the one-term president's lingering influence within the party which is keeping the GOP from resurrecting itself after having lost the White House and both chambers of Congress on his watch.

According to a New York Times report, the former president and GOP higher-ups will be meeting behind closed doors at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to "plot" the future of the party this weekend and that has many who would like to put Trump in the rear-view mirror unhappy because his continuing interference could hamper plans to win back seats.

"With former President Donald J. Trump determined to keep his grip on the Republican Party and the party's base as adhered to him as ever, the coming together of the Republican National Committee's top donors in South Florida this weekend is less a moment of reset and more a reminder of the continuing tensions and schisms roiling the G.O.P.," the Times reports with a fundraiser claiming the GOP would be better off if they left Trump out of the picture.

According to donor Fred Zeidman, Trump's continuing influence over the party is "A tremendous complication."

With the Times reporting, "The delicate dance between Mr. Trump and the party — after losing the House, the Senate and the White House on his watch — will manifest in some actual shuttle bus diplomacy on Saturday, as the party's top donors attend a series of receptions and panels at the Four Seasons Resort before traveling to Mar-a-Lago, the former president's private club, to hear Mr. Trump speak," Zeidman had a few things to say about the current state of affairs in the Republican Party.

Stating that each move Trump affects "every member," Zeidman then elaborated.

"He's already proven that he wants to have a major say or keep control of the party, and he's already shown every sign that he's going to primary everybody that has not been supportive of him. He complicates everything so much," he explained.

According to the report, "For party officials, the goal is keeping the energy that has propelled Mr. Trump to success inside the Republican tent while not entirely allowing the former president to dominate it," which led to Bill Palatucci, a Republican National Committeeman from New Jersey to say that is easier said than done.

"It is a difficult balancing act," he told the Times. "The president certainly has devoted followers but he also more than offended a lot of people with his conduct since the November election, which culminated in his helping to incite the riot on Jan. 6."

According to California GOP donor William Oberndorf, who has given millions to G.O.P. candidates, "It is very important the Republican Party puts Donald Trump as far into the past as possible."

Henry Barbour, an influential R.N.C. member from Mississippi, chimed in and claimed moving away from the former president isn't an easy task.

"When you lose the White House, you kind of figure it's going to take a little bit of healing, and I think probably first quarter has hopefully got us moving on a better path," he remarked before claiming Trump is a "big force in the party, but the party is bigger than any one candidate including Donald Trump."

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