It seems Republicans may be on the precipice of throwing away a winnable Senate seat due to the emotions of former President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair Lara Trump was asked by CNN’s Kasie Hunt about Maryland Republican Senate nominee Larry Hogan’s decision to urge Americans to respect the verdict in her father-in-law’s hush money trial and whether the committee will support his campaign.
“Well, I’ll tell you one thing, I don’t support what he just said there. I think it’s ridiculous. And I think anybody who’s not speaking up in the face of really something that should have never again seen the light of day at trial, that would not have been brought against any other person aside from Donald Trump doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone,” Lara Trump responded.
Hunt asked, “He doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone?”
“He doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone in the Republican Party at this point. And quite frankly, anybody in America,” Lara Trump asserted.
Watch the video below:
When asked if the RNC is willing to “cede” Maryland’s Senate seat to the Democrats and not support Hogan, Lara Trump said, “We, of course, want to win as a party. But that is a shame, and I think he should have thought long and hard before he said that publicly.
Hunt then asked if the RNC is willing to use its resources to help Hogan, to which the co-chair answered, “I’ll get back to you on the specifics monetarily.”
On Thursday, Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an attempt to cover up a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
Conservatives have criticized the case and alleged it was an example of selective prosecution against Trump.
Additionally, they have took issue with the legal theory of the case which bumped the charges up from misdemeanors to felonies on the basis that business records were falsified in furtherance of another crime. And while the prosecution did not precisely make clear what the other crime was, it argued the falsification was done in furtherance of a campaign finance violation in closing arguments.
However, in a post on X, Hogan wrote of the verdict, “Regardless of the result, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process. At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders—regardless of party—must not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship.”
It is understandable to be upset not everyone is speaking out forcefully about what happened to her father-in-law. But in this case we see the risk to Republicans of letting the Trumps and their supporters — who don’t really care about the party — take over the party apparatuses.
Yes, Hogan probably could have said something a little different. However, it would be incredibly unwise to pull resources and denounce him. He made history as the first Republican since 1954 to win re-election in Maryland when he won a second term in 2018. And he left office with a 77% approval rating.
Hogan may not have been the most conservative governor, he may not have tried to push a MAGA agenda and touch the trans issue or implement a six-week abortion ban. Yet, he’s still a Republican. As a senator, there are certain conservative issues where you can expect him to be a reliable vote. In the deep blue state, he used his office to hold back the whims of Democrats and keep the state government from ramming through a progressive agenda.
Republicans currently are in the minority in the Senate and if they can put Maryland in play, they should be pushing to do that. In order to pick up a sizable majority, the RNC and the Trumps need to give Republicans around the country, especially in blue states, the ability distance themselves and not be 100% aligned with the former president.
The chances of Trump wannabe winning in Maryland or even a Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) are not high.
You need a more centrist candidate in such a state. And while the 2024 Senate map seems to favor Republicans, it would be better to try to win in Maryland. As we’ve seen, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are just getting older and older. And while a 51 or 52 seat majority might be find when it comes to stopping legislation, things can get tricky if an older senator is sick or is absent for some reason.
Republicans are going to need a buffer in the Senate if they want to get stuff done. And if Donald Trump wins in 2024, or not, they might very well wind up wishing they had put more effort into Maryland instead of ranting about how Hogan doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone in America.
