Republicans see impact of midterm elections

GOP, eyeing the worst midterm performance of an ousted party in 20 years, exchanged finger-pointing Friday over whether the ultimate cause was a poor candidate, overheated information or an electoral anchor, a former president, that appeared to be dragging down the party. Donald Trump.

With election results still rolling, Republicans are still likely to secure a narrow majority in the House, but the party’s path to the Senate has narrowed. For Republican leaders who had predicted a red wave of widespread condemnation of President Joe Biden, the disappointing performance was undeniable.

Incumbent Democrats have won nearly every race so far, while Republicans from Maine to Washington have suffered stunning losses, with Trump-backed candidates in key Senate races in Pennsylvania and Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina and elsewhere.

“As a political party, we find ourselves constantly engaged in a power struggle between Trump and the anti-Trump wing of the party, primarily at the donor level,” Michigan Republican Chief of Staff Paul Cordes said in a memo Thursday. wrote in.

He added: “This power struggle ended with too many people on the sidelines and hurt Republicans in key races. At the end of the day, high-quality, substantive candidates and well-funded campaigns are still critical to winning elections . We’re working hard on both fronts to the detriment of Michiganders across the state.”

The party’s first substantive struggle broke out over the leadership form of the next Congress.

Jason Miller, who is helping to organize Trump’s expected announcement next week that he will seek the presidency again, continued Steve Bannon’s webcast on Friday and made a veiled threat to Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, He wants to be Speaker of the House, whom Trump calls “my Kevin.” If McCarthy wants the gavel, “he has to make it clearer in 2024 that he supports President Trump,” Miller said.

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, a potential speaker rival and chair of the House GOP conference, was eager to back Trump’s 2024 nomination, writing: “It’s time for Republicans to unite in the most Time to surround popular candidates. Republican Party of America.”

Even in the Senate, where control is up in the air, three Republicans circulated a letter calling for a delay in the leadership election, with Trump calling for the removal of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, from the Republican leadership position.