'Fed up' Republicans fleeing Trump as his unpopularity cripples their re-election hopes: report
According to a GOP campaign consultant, Republicans across the country are increasingly pushing back at Donald Trump and want nothing to do with him as November's election nears, fearing his tumbling approval numbers will hurt their re-election chances.
Speaking with USA Today, the consultant bluntly stated the Republicans are "fed up" with the president's rhetoric and antics and more than a few may skip the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville -- if it even happens.
According to Alex Conant, a GOP strategist, Republican candidates are at their wit's end having to deal with the fall-out from the increasingly unpopular president.
"There’s a real disagreement between the president and his party in this election,” Conant explained. "I think a lot of Republicans are really fed up with the president's divisive strategy. People are just throwing up their hands with some of the rhetoric that's coming out of the president. It's really unhelpful not just to his own re-election, but also to keeping the Senate."
The report notes that many senior Republicans have already announced that they will likely skip the nominating convention due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic -- which will also allow them to keep their distance from Trump when he is officially chosen as the 2020 nominee.
"Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the oldest GOP senator at age 86, said Monday he would avoid the convention 'because of the virus situation,' while Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Mitt Romney, R-Utah, also cited coronavirus concerns as the reason they won't attend," USA Today reports, adding that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hinting he night not attend, calling the convention a "challenging situation."
According to GOP strategist Matt Gorman, there are multiple reasons to avoid the get-together.
"For a lot of these elected officials, it's a chance to go there for fundraising and press attention," he explained. "And if a lot of media folks are not planning to go and a lot of donors choose not to go because in-person fundraising is a bit less prevalent, then there's not much incentive to show up."
"The administration's mounting controversies have pushed even Republicans who previously refused to break ranks with Trump to begin speaking out – most notably as it relates to the dramatic uptick in coronavirus cases in the U.S.," the USA report continues. "They have been vocal in their opposition to his refusal to wear a mask, pressuring the administration for increased testing and, most recently, some have criticized Trump for pulling out of the World Health Organization as the pandemic continues to ravage the country."
According to Conant, the president is aware that he is getting pushback, but that he has his limits.
“My sense is that Trump is fine with Republicans criticizing his policy, even his tweets, but he’s not OK with them attacking him,” he admitted
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