According to a report from the New York Times, Donald Trump's influence over some Republican Party activists in Michigan has set off finger-pointing and accusations of betrayal as candidates line up for the 2022 primary.
As the Times' Jazmine Ulloa and Nick Corasaniti wrote, a recent Republican get-together in Macomb County was disrupted by a shouting match between rank and file conservatives and supporters of the former president.
"In a room packed with about 500 people, Mark Forton, the county party chairman and a fierce ally of former President Donald J. Trump, began railing against the establishment Republicans in the audience. A plan was afoot to oust him and his executive team, he said," the Times reported, adding Forton bellowed, "They’re going to make an overthrow of the party, and you have a right to know what this county party has done in the last three years,” while opposing forces "booed and hollered."
According to the report, "The raucous scene in Macomb County exploded after months of infighting that roiled the Michigan Republican Party, pitting Trump loyalists like Mr. Forton, who continue to promote Mr. Trump’s lies about a stolen 2020 presidential election, against a cohort of Republicans who are eager to move on."
As the local GOP tries to come together on a slate of candidates for secretary of state, attorney general and other statewide offices, the former president is deeply involved in making sure candidates he favors are the chosen ones -- which has led to old alliances being torn apart.
Noting that, "The root of the rupture in Michigan can, in part, be traced to endorsements made by Meshawn Maddock, a co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party and a Trump confidante," the Times uses the case of one Republican who thought he had the support of the party wrapped up until Maddock went in another direction.
"Beau LeFave, a Republican state legislator who is running for secretary of state, said that he had spoken to both Ms. Maddock and her husband, State Representative Matt Maddock, 'multiple times' before jumping into his race. They told him they were both rooting for him 'and that they’re going to stay out of it,' he said," the Times is reporting.
According to Le Fave, "So it was quite a surprise to find out that they lied to me."
According to Forton, who was ousted from his leadership spot, the pro-Trump wing believes they have rebuilt the local party and deserve to take over.
"Mr. Forton argued that his wing of Trump supporters had revived the county party, replenished its coffers and helped usher in a wave of Republican victories in the state. He slammed what he viewed as the old-guard Republicans in the room, some of whom were preparing the way to vote him out of office as he spoke," the report states, with Forton warning, his side "...have been wanting to take this county party back for a long time,” and then adding they are “not going away.”
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