Donald Trump still considers himself a kingmaker in Republican politics, but MSNBC's Joe Scarborough said his brand remains "toxic" with most voters.
GOP candidates dutifully visit Mar-A-Lago to beg for Trump's endorsement in a spectacle straight out of "The Apprentice" reality TV show, but the "Morning Joe" host said they're fooling themselves if they think that will help win a general election.
"One of Trump's aides says people will go there and just beg, people will go there and try to get his support and his endorsement," Scarborough said. "It's every bit as pathetic as "The Apprentice," where people were like crabs in a bucket, wanting him to pick them up. There was a scene where he flew down all of the Senate candidates in Ohio, put him in a room while he was there and just let them fight and scream, yell at each other so he would give them the endorsement."
Trump remains popular with the GOP base, but Scarborough thinks his endorsement won't help in November.
"The reality that still exists is that if Donald Trump can help you win a Republican primary and help you lose a general election, especially in statewide races, his name -- and this story talks about it," Scarborough said. "We have seen after [Glen] Youngkin won, we have even time and time again people that voted for [Joe] Biden and Youngkin all upset with Biden top to bottom, then you ask them, last question, do you regret your vote for Joe Biden over Donald Trump? Every one of them -- no. He's still toxic. He's still toxic in north Atlanta, still toxic in the Philly suburbs, he's still toxic in all of these swing districts. That's not changing in the general election."
"You have the Republican Party, which has every advantage in the world right now, including just one of the worst political operations I have every seen as far as Democrats, as far as national messaging," he added. "Just if you take the whole group of them, I just have never seen a party as out of touch with Middle America, and even the middle of their own party. But all of that said, Donald Trump is keeping them in the game because he's so loathed by swing voters."
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