WASHINGTON — Just a tiny sliver of Republicans in one, single state have so far cast ballots in the GOP’s presidential nominating contest.
But for many GOP leaders, prominent Republican committee chairs and one of the Republican Party’s most well-known bomb-throwers, the time for candidates not named “Donald Trump” to quit the race is right now.
“Totally they need to drop out,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) told Raw Story while walking in an underground tunnel to the U.S. Capitol.
Even as Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) is planning to gain momentum in New Hampshire’s first in the nation primary on Tuesday, Greene dismisses her.
“She is gonna lose so big. It's not even funny. She's, like, she's not a real candidate,” Greene said of Trump’s former UN ambassador.
ALSO READ: Uncivil war: How Speaker Mike Johnson’s dream of bipartisan decency died in his hands
As for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Greene doubts he has a future in the GOP primary or even in the cabinet if Trump wins a second term in the White House, because she says he abandoned his voters.
“They reelected him for governor and then he went running around the country trying to run for president. That's not a good thing,” Greene said.
It’s not just Greene.
“We need to unify,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) — who endorsed Trump earlier this month, which drew a public jab from former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) — told Raw Story as he walked through the Capitol flanked by his security detail. “The number one thing is you cannot allow these extreme radical left Democrats, including the White House that’s proven completely incompetent, to remain in power.”
ALSO READ: Dennis Kucinich to seek Ohio congressional seat
While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to endorse anyone in the GOP presidential contest, over on the House side of the Capitol, each Republican leader is now publicly behind Trump. Many are also now anti-anyone else — see Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) new “Never Nikki” campaign — who’s still in the contest.
“Should they get out so the party can unify?” Raw Story asked.
“Yeah, definitely. Definitely,” Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) — who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee or NRCC — told Raw Story. “The American people understand Trump’s policies made them safer. Made their lives better.”
When Congress wraps up its work in Washington this week — which includes kicking the can to fully fund the government down the proverbial road — Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the House Republican Conference chair, and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) are trekking to New Hampshire to join Trump on stage.
Other Republican heavy hitters say, what primary?
“I thought it was over before it even started,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) — who chairs the House Judiciary Committee and is helping party leaders plan their impeachment, contempt and censure strategies — told Raw Story.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). (Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo for AFP)
Trump has now been endorsed by 24 sitting U.S. senators and 117 current members of the U.S. House of Representatives. DeSantis has six House endorsements; none in the Senate. Haley has netted just one congressional endorsement.
Congressional endorsements shouldn't mean that much in an anti-establishment party.
But more so, these non-Trump supporters say party leaders are getting ahead of themselves, the candidates and Republican voters.
Trump handedly won more than 50 percent of the vote in Iowa’s caucuses earlier this week, but — in part because of blisteringly cold weather — the state party says roughly 85% of registered Republicans sat out this year’s caucuses.
“We just had the first one. This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) — Haley’s lone endorsement from a sitting member of Congress — told Raw Story. “It's not right for me or anybody else to call for anybody to get out. They can do it. I don't listen to that.”
“You know, the great thing about our system, you get on the ballot, let the voters decide what they want. You win or you lose, and you either move forward or you go out,” Norman said.
Many Republicans now say Trump is inevitable, but Norman says that’s premature.
“I disagree with that,” Norman said. “I disagree with that. Gotta give people a choice. Why give up now? Look at the work that’s gone into this campaign. Look at the time they’ve spent. It’s kind of an insult for anybody to say that. They’re not the candidate.”
Norman’s got company, even if it comes from the DeSantis camp.
After (unsuccessfully) barnstorming Iowa for DeSantis, two of his top congressional supporters — Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Chip Roy (R-TX) — are doubling down on their endorsement of Florida’s governor.
The pair ditched their responsibilities in Washington this week so they could crisscross New Hampshire for their candidate, last minute — or ditch? — as their effort may be.
Other DeSantis supporters are feeling more lukewarm these post-Iowa days.
“For years, you have to show momentum in the early stages to keep on in the New Hampshire primary, so I suspect this year should be no different,” Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) told Raw Story.
Good’s the new chair of the House Freedom Caucus. But he almost didn’t get the job, because he endorsed DeSantis over Trump.
“Do you see any momentum, though, from DeSantis or Haley?” Raw Story asked.
“I don’t see any momentum right now,” Good said.
