President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at the 450th mile of the new border wall Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, near the Texas Mexico border. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
The Happy Warrior, an Improved Trump
Donald Trump can be so unpredictable that it’s easy to understand why voters often wonder if he is self-sabotaging his campaign. In an about-face, though, he seems to be opting for strategy over ruination, reports Kim Strassel in the WSJ.
Against all odds, Republican voters across the states are largely nominating candidates that have the best shot of winning this fall—instead of rowdy loudmouths who campaign against the “uniparty.” Efforts by Republican rebels to knock off House moderates or to nominate more of their own in open races are failing. The surprise factor in this campaign for November success? Mr. Trump.
On Sunday, the former president endorsed Sam Brown, a retired Army captain recruited by Steve Daines, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, to challenge Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada.
Tuesday’s GOP primary featured 11 other competitors, including Jeff Gunter, Mr. Trump’s ambassador to Iceland, whose own bid for the endorsement involved savaging Mr. Brown for disloyalty to Mr. Trump. Polls showed Mr. Brown has the best shot at beating Ms. Rosen, and Mr. Trump’s endorsement helped him to the nomination.
While the press won’t admit it, this is becoming more norm than aberration, lauds Kimberley Strassel:
Tim Sheehy—a former Navy SEAL and another Daines pick—last week won the GOP nomination to challenge Montana Sen. Jon Tester. Mr. Sheehy also got the Trump nod despite Rep. Matt Rosendale’s campaign of Trump-attention seeking (including a vote to depose former Speaker Kevin McCarthy) and despite prior Trump endorsements of Mr. Rosendale.
Two years ago, Mr. Trump savaged David McCormick’s run for the Pennsylvania Senate nomination in favor of TV personality Mehmet Oz. This April Mr. Trump gave Mr. McCormick full support in his challenge to Sen. Bob Casey. In March Mr. Trump endorsed former Rep. Mike Rogers for the Michigan Senate nomination, despite Mr. Rogers’s past criticism of him. According to a Thursday Fox News report, Mr. Trump is even endorsing Larry Hogan, the party’s moderate (and therefore electable) nominee for Senate in Maryland.
Looking at the House: incumbents and other candidates in recent primaries have fended off challenges from volatile contenders backed by Freedom Caucus members—”thanks either to a Trump endorsement or Mr. Trump’s decision to stay neutral,” continues Ms. Strassle:
They include South Carolina’s William Timmons, Illinois’s Mike Bost, West Virginia’s Carol Miller and Nebraska’s Don Bacon. Virginians next week will choose between House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good—who also voted to oust Mr. McCarthy and is backed by rabble rouser Rep. Matt Gaetz—and state Sen. John McGuire. Trump is vocally supporting the latter.
A great deal of credit for the Senate course goes to Mr. Daines, who doggedly and skillfully continues to walk a minefield of competing party factions, even as he’s pushed and cemented top recruits. The Montanan understands that, GOP divisions aside, Republicans want to win. That requires some party leadership in the primary stage, and getting the top guy on board.
Donald Trump’s House endorsements indicate that, beyond simply retaining that chamber, he is looking toward the bigger question of governance.
Plenty of Republicans lobbied him in recent primaries to back their insurgent candidates against incumbents or opponents branded “establishment.” Yet a GOP that keeps or increases its House majority via the election of more bomb throwers is a House that continues to sit and swivel in its own chaos—as it has for the past eight months. A Trump who can’t seek re-election may have less sway over members than did a first-term Trump.
The primary season still has months to go, reminds Ms. Starssel. “And weather is always changeable.”
But for the moment, the Trump team—including its captain—is quietly acknowledging that candidate quality matters after all.
