Donald Trump is preparing to make a new round of support for 2022 starting this week, people familiar with his thinking told Axios.
Why it’s important: The former president’s endorsements could leave the field open in competitive Republican primaries. Depending on the feeling of revenge he has and how many defenders in favor of the supporters themselves, they could also block the establishment of the party.
The big picture: Previous presidents usually pause before entering domestic politics. Less than two months after leaving office, Trump has approved more than a dozen Republicans, a sign of his determination to maintain control of the Republican Party.
Behind the scenes: They are not just aspirants. Members of the Senate Chamber and seated senators claim it in Mar-a-Lago.
- Trump plans to endorse Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) Soon, according to a source familiar with Trump’s thinking.
- A endorsement wouldn’t come as a surprise (Paul is a friend, golf buddy, and a staunch supporter of Trump’s cable news), but the timing would be remarkable, given that Trump is at the other headline request.
- Even members facing largely safe re-elections are calling for early Trump support for moving away from serious primary challenges: they call it the path of Thom Tillis.
- Mr. Todd Young (R-Ind.) And James Lankford (R-Okla.) Recently contacted Trump to ask for his support. According to a source familiar with the situation, their requests remain “under consideration.”
- Young and Lankford spokesmen did not respond to any requests for comment.
Between lines: Since leaving office, Trump has backed some well-known incumbents, including Mr. Jerry Moran of Kansas, Tim Scott of South Carolina and John Kennedy of Louisiana, as well as South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.
- It also supports the presidencies of national and state parties, effectively nullifying rivals.
- He secured the re-election of Ronna Romney McDaniel to a third term as chairman of the Republican National Committee.
- He has also supported allies in crucial states: Kelli Ward, party president in Arizona, and Bob Paduchik, in Ohio. They both won.
The plot: Trump supported his former press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in the Arkansas Gov. race and Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin in his candidacy for Arkansas attorney general.
- Trump is also studying a possible endorsement of Georgia’s secretary of state’s career, according to a source familiar with the matter. His incumbent Brad Raffensperger earned his enmity rather than his support with his push against criticism of the state’s electoral conduct.
What we are seeing: Trump wants to eliminate all Republican officials who voted to accuse or convict him.
- There is one senator in this category who is running for re-election in 2022: Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Trump are determined to defeat her.
- The state Republican party has already censored Murkowski and pledged to field a candidate against her.
- The only major challenger to the 2022 Congress Trump has passed so far is a former White House aide, Max Miller, against Representative Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio. He voted to accuse Trump.
A persistent question is how Trump will address the open seats in the Senate.
- The aspiring candidates have been aggressively courting the former president.
- Among them is Trump’s former ambassador to Slovenia, Lynda Blanchard, who is running in Alabama.
- He recently organized a fundraiser in Mar-a-Lago.
The summary: Even after Jan. 6, many prominent Republicans want Trump’s support because they believe it will ensure his political survival.
- Among the dozens who have called or visited Mar-a-Lago since he left the White House, according to a source familiar with these interactions: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House House Minor Whip , Steve Scalise, and more than two dozen senators, including Senator Rick Scott of Florida, who chairs the Republican National Senate Committee.
- Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) has gone back and forth, and Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) recently organized a fundraiser at Trump’s private club.
- The former president is leading the next RNC donor withdrawal, part of which has moved to Mar-a-Lago.
- Trump America’s Save America PAC has already amassed more than $ 80 million, a war chest that Republican Party leaders watch closely and, in some cases, cautiously.
Yes, but: The obvious exception is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He last spoke with Trump in December, and after his criticism of the former president for the January 6 Capitol siege, he may never speak to him again.