A retired Republican judge from Idaho is warning his party against behaving like "lemmings" by lining up to nominate former President Donald Trump as their nominee yet again in the 2024 election.
Writing in The Hill, former Idaho Supreme Court Justice Jim Jones argued that there was simply no chance that Trump would succeed in his third presidential campaign, especially given that he could be a convicted felon by election day.
"The fact is that Trump simply can’t and won’t win another term," he argues. "He is wrong on the issues, he has no vision for a second term other than trying to establish an autocracy, and he will likely be convicted in one or more of the criminal cases that are currently in the works."
Given all this, Jones marvels at the fact that Trump's GOP rivals aren't being more aggressive in trying to actually defeat him in the primary race.
RELATED: 'Doubled down on dumb': Rick Wilson explains why DeSantis' campaign is in freefall
"Other than former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Trump’s top-tier opponents cannot muster the courage to take him on, to make the case that he is a clear and present danger to American democracy, as well as the future of the Republican Party," he argues. "They merely tiptoe around Trump, while making throw-away comments about the 'weaponization of government.' Such comments trivialize Trump’s criminal conduct, strengthening his grip on the GOP base."
Given this pattern of behavior, Jones argues that the party is headed for a potentially "huge election losses" that could set it back years.
"I believe Republicans will lose the presidency by a wide margin, whoever the party’s candidate might be, the Democrats will end up with a House majority of at least 20 members and the Senate majority could go either way by one or two members," he writes in conclusion.
