Former President Donald Trump is trying to pluck money from three of the electoral and fund-raising organizations most integrated into Republican politics, with the aim of ensuring that money from Republican donors does not go to candidates who are disloyal to him.
The former president over the weekend sent “cease and desist” letters to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), National Republican Congress Committee (NRCC) and the National Republican Committee (RNC) demanding that they stop using his name and similar to raising money, Politico reported for the first time.
The RNC was the first to respond publicly on Monday. RNC Chief Counsel J. Justin Riemer said in a letter to Trump’s “Save America PAC” lawyer that he will not stop using Trump in his fundraising pitches.
“Like President Trump, the NRC remains focused on electing Republican candidates and advancing conservative policies,” the letter said. “The RNC, of course, has every right to refer to public figures as it engages in the central political discourse of the First Amendment, and will continue to do so in pursuit of these common goals.”
President Donald Trump walks on the south lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, November 29, 2020, after stepping down from Marine One. Trump was returning from Camp David. (AP Photo / Patrick Semansky)
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Then, a few hours later, Trump sent an email to his supporters telling them to ensure that his political donations went to the political action committee (PAC) directly controlled by him, rather than organizations that can support Republicans who criticize the ex-president.
“No more money for RINOS. They do nothing but harm the Republican Party and our large vote base – they will never lead us to Greatness,” said Trump, telling donors to give their money to their PAC Save America. “We are going to bring everything back stronger than ever.”
This was not the first time that Trump told his followers that they should deprive traditional Republican organizations of money. During his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he said that “there is only one way to contribute to our efforts to elect America’s first Republican conservatives and, in turn, to Make America Great Again, and that through “your Save America PAC.
The NRSC and NRCC did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story.
Trump’s attacks on groups, including the NRSC, take place while NRSC President Senator Rick Scott, R-Fla., Continues to insist that there is no civil war within the Republican Party. Scott is in an especially embarrassing position as he is committed to defending senators in office in the primaries through his work at the head of the NRSC, even though Trump promises to support primary challenges against Republican presidents.
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) speaks at a news conference to present a bipartisan and bicameral COVID relief bill on December 14, 2020 in Washington, DC (Michael Brochstein / Sipa, USA)
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Trump said more recently that he plans to campaign for an opponent of Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who was one of seven Republican senators to vote to convict him in his impeachment trial last month.
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“I will not endorse, under any circumstances, the failed candidate from the great Alaskan state, Lisa Murkowski,” Trump said in a statement. “She misrepresents her state and her country even worse. I don’t know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be – in Alaska, campaigning against a disloyal and very bad senator.”
Murkowski is not the only Republican that Trump has chased in recent months – he has also directed his anger at the Reps. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. And Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., As well as Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Donald Trump Jr., at the end of last month in an interview with Fox News, criticized the idea of ”blindly” supporting Republican candidates and said there are “many” Republican senators that he and the former president would be willing to support primary challenges.
The NRCC, in turn, has a policy of not getting involved in the primaries.
Scott had already said in a memo to voters, activists and Republican Party officials that “The Republican Civil War has been canceled”.
“Some of you voted for President Trump with enthusiasm, some with reservations and some with great reluctance,” Scott said in the memo. “It doesn’t matter. We have 74 million votes and we can easily increase our numbers if we work together.”
Senator Rick Scott, R-Fla., Told Fox News at CPAC 2021 that he believes Republicans can turn Democratic-controlled Senate seats in at least 4 states in 2022, as he continued to say that there is no civil war in the Republican party.
But the internal party battles fueled by Trump threaten to damage the Republican Party in 2022 if the three groups most responsible for electing Republicans to the federal legislature run out of money.
Under Trump’s presidency, Republicans lost control of the House and Senate. But they are in a 50-50 tie in the Senate and can take control of the agency by winning just one seat in 2022. That’s the job of Scott and NRSC.
And Republicans significantly exceeded expectations in the House in 2020, with many crediting the Republican Party and NRCC leadership recruitment and campaign efforts for putting the party on the verge of a majority in the House.
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These groups, however, should not publicly reprimand Trump for his efforts to undermine them, as the Republican Party base is still largely enslaved by the former president. This was underlined by the deferential tone of the RNC’s response to Trump’s cease-and-desist.
“The RNC is grateful for the past and the continued support that President Trump has given the committee and looks forward to working with him to elect Republicans across the country,” the letter said. “If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call.”
Meanwhile, five Republican senators, most recently Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Have already announced that they will retire next year. According to former Republican strategist Colin Reed, this is due to “a growing recognition that this is not the Republican Party of yore, still very much the party of Trump”.
Peter Doocy and Paul Steinhauser of Fox News contributed to this report.