The last steps come amid growing concerns in the Republican Party that Trump’s political interests and those of the Republican Party in general will diverge when he leaves office. The president has already angered Senate Republicans by using money-raising appeals for the Georgia Senate’s second round to send money to his newly formed political action committee. Trump also released a chart suggesting that Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell – who is about to become the most senior Republican in Washington next month – owes his wide margin of re-election to Trump.
Now, it is becoming clearer that Trump’s money-release PAC could be deployed in two years against the remaining Republican occupiers that Trump doesn’t like. Trump’s public tweets and statements have already removed some Republican Party officials from office during his administration, but the PAC could be a potent new tool in his ongoing quest to shape the party.
Trump forces sent a warning signal on Wednesday when they launched a $ 5 million advertising campaign on TV and radio, calling on Republican-controlled state legislatures to hold electoral fraud hearings. Some of the commercials are running in Georgia, whose governor, Brian Kemp, is running for re-election in 2022, but is under strong criticism from the president for not giving in to Trump’s calls to overturn the election results.
The ads urge listeners to call Kemp and lawmakers and “require them to inspect” the voting machines “and listen to the evidence”. Previously, Trump openly encouraged Republican Party representative Doug Collins to set up a major challenge against Kemp during a recent campaign visit to Georgia.
The offensive comes before the January 6 Congressional vote to certify the Electoral College, which would finalize President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the November elections. Many Republicans are expected to vote in favor of validating electoral votes, and people close to the president say this is not a litmus test for whether a lawmaker will get a primaries contest endorsed by Trump.
Instead, Trump’s advisers are turning their focus to Republicans who have spoken out against Trump’s long-standing challenge to certification. The president and his team are particularly infuriated by the Senate Majority Whip, John Thune, of South Dakota, who said the maneuver “would fall like a doggun” in the Senate.
Trump’s advisers say they are paying attention mainly to three Republicans facing re-election – Kemp, Thune and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski – against whom the president has spoken out vehemently. But they caution that no final decision has been made on whether they will work to defeat them in 2022.
“President Trump has the greatest influence on social media and the largest political war chest in the country, and he will not be afraid to use it in 2022 to elect pro-Trump Republicans – even if it means entering the primaries,” said one veteran Trump political advisor.
Trump advisers say they have not ruled out recruiting Trump-friendly primary challengers. They are also considering launching a separate political action committee, which would focus on supporting the 2022 candidates, some of whom could be looking to expel the Republican candidates.
Money is unlikely to be lacking. Trump maintains a huge list of small donors and, since the election, has raised more than $ 200 million for a collection of interconnected political groups, largely through appeals centered on the idea that the election was stolen from him.
The exact contours of Trump’s political apparatus are still being worked out, although some details are beginning to emerge. A policy-oriented operation, which should be less focused on electoral activities, should be chaired by White House internal policy adviser Brooke Rollins and the Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow.
Trump has a long history of exercising control over the Republican Party through Republican nomination contests. His support for Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis and Kemp, paved the way for victories in the 2018 primaries. Trump also weighed in that year against South Carolina’s Representative Mark Sanford, who would lose his nomination.
In 2018, he also endorsed Republican Kris Kobach in a primary election over Republican Party governor Jeff Colyer. Kobach ended up winning the primaries before losing the general election to Democrat Laura Kelly.
The primaries could be a key vehicle for Trump to maintain his influence over the party when he leaves office. While his post-White House political plans are still being realized, advisers say they imagine him taking on the role of king-maker, where he chooses and chooses favorite candidates.
Eliminating incumbents, however, may not be so easy. Thune has long been popular in South Dakota, where he was first elected to the Senate in 2004. After the president asked for a Thune primary challenge in a tweet on Tuesday, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem , a Trump ally, immediately stepped out of contention as a potential opponent.
But Trump’s advisers insist that Republican lawmakers who do not support the idea that the president was a victim in the 2020 elections are in a dangerous position. A USA Today / Suffolk University poll released on Thursday showed that 78% of Republicans believe Biden was elected illegitimately. In a Fox News poll earlier this month, 68 percent of Republicans said the election was stolen from the president.
Trump’s post-election target list includes a long list of Republicans, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. The president’s attacks have raised broader fears within the party that his post-presidency will be destructive for the Republican Party.
Even so, he still hasn’t committed to defeating anyone. For the time being, his electoral activity is concentrated in Georgia, where he will campaign for the Republicans Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler the day before the January 5 runoff, which will determine which party controls the Senate.