In an effort to avoid the "debacle" of the Republican 2022 midterm election — where the so-called "red wave" not only didn't happen, but the GOP lost a seat in the Senate — the Republican leadership is working diligently to bring warring sides together so the party is not saddled with unelectable candidates.
According to a report from CNN, that means limiting Donald Trump's influence while trying to keep him and his closest advisers happy.
The report notes that newly appointed NRSC head, Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, is jumping into the fray and reaching out to all concerned to tamp down potential bitter primary fights that could not only lead to ending up losing seats in Congress, but could impact overall turnout when the GOP is trying to reclaim the White House.
According to CNN's Manu Raju and Alayna Treene, "... the committee [NRSC] is weighing whether to spend big bucks in primaries to help root out weaker candidates, a move that risks setting up a clash with hard-right candidates aligning themselves with Trump.
IN OTHER NEWS: Trump's 'loophole' defense over Georgia election phone call 'isn't how reality works': analyst
Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asserted, "You need to learn from your past mistakes. If you don’t make adjustments, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome, it’s insanity.”
CNN is reporting, "Privately, Daines has spoken multiple times with Trump and has been in touch with his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., while national Republicans point to the NRSC’s early endorsement and fundraising for Rep. Jim Banks in the Indiana Senate race as an example of how the party’s warring wings can try to avoid messy primaries.
"The goal, GOP sources say, is to keep Trump aligned with Republican leadership – even as the former president has furiously attacked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in the aftermath of the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, and as the Senate GOP leader has stayed silent amid the former president’s indictment on 34 felony charges in New York."
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) was blunt in stating that the leadership is not happy with the past two elections despite taking control of the House by a slim 5-seat margin under the tenuous control of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
“It never goes away. Republicans need to make up their mind. Do we want to win, or do we want to lose? And I think that it’s that simple, and I think people are tired of losing,” the Texas Republican admitted.
You can read more here.
