You know for a fact that if someone like DeSantis beats Trump for the GOP nomination, not only will Trump “not support” the candidate (DeSantis), but Trump will do all he can to dismantle DeSantis’s campaign, perhaps running as an independent, which would ensure that I could win the presidency if the Democrats nominated me. It would split the MAGA-Republican vote in half. NO, I am not qualified to be president, but neither is Trump, and DeSantis is too dangerous and evil… I guess that means he’s not qualified, either.
There is one possible exception I’ll discuss below. But let’s set out what’s happening first.
From this morning’s Politico Playbook:
WILL TRUMP STAND BY THE GOP? — RNC Chair RONNA McDANIEL predicted on CNN’s “State of the Union” this morning that all Republicans will be required to sign a pledge to support whoever wins the party nomination in order to be allowed on the debate stage later this year.
“I suspect a pledge will be part of it,” McDaniel told Dana Bash, noting that it was part of the RNC’s 2016 requirement as well. “I think it’s a no-brainer. If you’re going to be on the Republican National Committee debate stage, asking supporters to support you, you should say, ‘I will support the voters and who they choose as the nominee.’”
Trump has already addressed this:
BUT BUT BUT … In recent days, DONALD TRUMP indicated that he wouldn’t necessarily do that, leaving open the possibility that he could be barred from the debates entirely. “It would depend,” he told conservative radio host HUGH HEWITT about signing such a document. “I would give you the same answer I gave in 2016, during the debate: It would have to depend on who the nominee was.”
Ah, no – it would not. So long as it was a nominee that beat him, Trump would not support the nominee… He would likely run as a third party to destroy the nominee unless…
Unless Trump was indicted and in real trouble, like there was very strong evidence that he is a traitor and sold state secrets, Trump might make a deal with the nominee, quietly, that Trump would get a full pardon on day one (Assuming a Republican victory) in exchange for his support. That would leave Georgia and New York (especially New York because the Clemency Board – not the governor – could pardon Trump in Georgia) as the only viable means of holding Trump accountable.
On the other hand, DeSantis may not need nor want Trump’s support. Trump’s support is always conditional, and he often screws things up at least as much as making things better. DeSantis may also see the prosecution as the only way to get Trump off his back. The primary will be brutal and ugly. It is possible that DeSantis won’t pardon Trump even if it costs him support early in the term. People will likely forget in four years if the MAGAs see DeSantis as doing a good job.
But the RNC is playing with fire. It is more likely than not that Trump will just skip the debates. He isn’t a good debater. He just repeats the hits. DeSantis likely has actual policy plans that Trump would find confusing and hard to destroy. We will find them to be a nightmare.
Quite the dilemma. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving group.
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[email protected], @JasonMiciak, SUBSTACK: AS DANGERS INCREASE AROUND THE GLOBE, BIDEN BECOMES THE WORLD’S MOST NECESSARY MAN
Not to be pedantic or anything but former guy has yet to honor a contract he thought he could get away with not honoring. Does anyone, anyone in their right mind that is, believe for one second any pledge he signs is worth the pen, ink and paper used for his signature? Seriously folks the man lies like a rug F.F.S. but ronna makes up a little pledge for candidates to sign and suddenly everyone becomes honest Abe? Nope. Not happening.
I do predict this however: should the ‘pube party try to keep former guy out of any debates he WILL take his ball, the magat base, and go home. He will either run as the trump party, independent party or fuck all party but he will tell the ‘pubes to go fuck themselves (and that might be an actual quote). I must say I am looking forward to this little shit storm next year with relish. This might just be the block in the tower puzzle that brings the republican party down completely.
He’ll honor that just like he did the requirements concerning covid during the last debates. I did see him tell the truth a few years ago during an interview but no one noticed. He was asked if he stood by the statements he had made and his exact response was ” I stand by nothing”. Bingo. Another honest Abe.
I doubt the RNC has the guts to follow through. However, even if they do Trump might play along to get on the stage – and then BREAK his word. Just like he’s done all his life. Promise something and even sign contracts and then either pretend he never knew in the first place, or when feeling frisky adopt a “I changed my mind. What are you gonna do about it? attitude.
I think they’ll follow through for the lone reason that they won’t pay a price. They’ll have debates and trump will be out in the countryside mocking them.
Dangerous move for Trump, though. People generally want to see someone “earn it” (the nomination and victory), and it will piss off the large segment of DeSantis supporters.
But as I pointed out above, Trump has to be careful about Third-party stuff bc without an “America First” president (and he would split vote, perhaps not allowed by Putin), he won’t be pardoned, and he has to give that a lot of thought if he’s indicted by Smith.
Or they’ll just investigate him until he’s dead. It sure seems that way right now.
Eh, more likely that Trump will actually skip the debates if forced to sign any sort of pledge, then he’ll go on about how the debates’ ratings would’ve been much better if he’d appeared but he wasn’t going to be blackmailed just to help their ratings.
It actually wouldn’t surprise me if Trump even held some “surprise” rallies the very nights of the debates and go on to his loyal followers how the Republicans had turned on him, especially that “woman” who HE’D put in that position in the first place.
What’s the deal with the maga party making people sign things? The Koch Bros. were good at that, too, and remember wasn’t it Norwich or something like that, that made them sign a no tax pledge when they ran for an office? I know a guy that ran for state senator & he told them he wouldn’t sign that pledge because he couldn’t predict the future and what may happen. He got railroaded and lost. Nice repubs, huh?
I can see him agreeing to the pledge. And as we all know, Trump is a man of his word…
Eff-me, I can’t even type that last part with a straight face!