Donald Trump has vowed revenge. But some power brokers in the GOP want him to go away.
Members of the National Republican Congressional Committee are publicly warning the former president to refrain from interfering in the primaries of the ten GOP House members who voted to impeach him. According to Politico:
“We don’t need anything that exacerbates divisions,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), adding that he would “prefer” if Trump doesn’t try to unseat incumbents. “We ought to be united and be focused on retaking the majority, and I think settling scores gets in the way of that.”
Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) shared a similar sentiment with Politico:
“I would encourage the [former] president to not weigh in and let the voters make the decision. We can have a family discussion where we disagree … but when you overtly and publicly go out there, and have that type of attack on a member of the family, I don’t think that’s a wise move.”
Trump has already endorsed the primary challenger to Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), one of the GOP House members who voted for impeachment.
Trump’s vendetta, GOP leaders worry, might jeopardize their chance at taking back the House in 2022. Many of the incumbents that have drawn Trump’s ire are in districts where moderates outnumber diehard Trump supporters. If Trump is able to help a preferred primary challenger make it to the general election, Democrats might win the seat back.
That dynamic has Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, the head of the NRCC, worried. He told Politico, “That’s not going to be helpful. It’s probably better for us that we keep these people.”
House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy has stopped short of criticizing Trump’s efforts to oust Republican politicians that are insufficiently loyal to the former president. But in a statement, he suggested he’ll support each member of his party that seeks re-election. “I look forward to working with each member of our conference in support of their re-election efforts.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Jordans (R-Ohio) defended Trump. “This is America. He can get involved in whatever he wants. Ultimately, it’s up to the voters in the district, but I’m fine with Trump being involved.”