The Republican Party is Still Trump’s Party

January 4, 2021 T. Arthur Mason National
Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Fargo, ND on June 27, 2018. (Photo via screenshot on YouTube.)

At this very moment, President Donald Trump’s most devoted supporters across the country are preparing to caravan to the nation’s capital in protest of alleged voter and election fraud on January 6th. Speculation is rampant in regards to how many will turn out. President Trump himself has Tweeted that he’ll be there for the “Historic day”.

The purpose of writing this article is not to hash over allegations of fraud or to detail how certain swing states violated their own laws to favor a Biden victory. Even though it’s certainly true that mainstream media hasn’t done their job of investigating or covering those very issues. No, instead, what I want to focus on here is the power of Trump and the potential demise of the Grand Old Party.

It’s well-known that “Never Trumpers” have existed within the Republican Party since Trump announced his candidacy for the White House in June of 2015. The lists of Republicans who opposed his 2016 campaign and re-election bid in 2020 are long. (Note: Admittedly, some on the 2016 list have become supporters of the President.)

However, despite this kind of inner party opposition, in the weeks following the most recent election, Trump’s approval among Republicans sat around 90%. Less than a week ago, Gallup released polling showing him to be the “Most Admired in 2020“— ending Barrack Obama’s 12-year reign as such. Gallup attributed this to Trump’s “dominant performance among Republicans”.

Even as the Electoral College was set to cast its votes on December 14th, a CBS News poll showed that 82% of those who supported Donald Trump said they don’t consider Joe Biden “the legitimate winner of the presidential election”. Yet — as things stand now — there’s not enough support by Republicans in the U.S. House or Senate to challenge some states’ electoral votes on January 6th. At least not enough to make a difference in the ultimate outcome of the election.

As can be seen by his Tweet this morning, the President has branded Republicans who are unwilling to challenge the certification of electors as the “Surrender Caucus” and “weak and ineffective ‘guardians’ of our Nation”.

Indeed, when it comes to an electoral challenge, there appears to be a clear difference of opinion between the “Surrender Caucus” and Trump’s most ardent supporters.

Evidence of this can be found on the Facebook pages of Representative Kelly Armstrong and Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer. All three have stated publicly that they don’t plan on objecting to the Electoral College votes. And in comment after comment on their posts, some North Dakotans are expressing their dissatisfaction over that— to put it mildly.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Donald Trump over the last four years, it’s that he appreciates — some would even say demands — loyalty. The Wall Street Journal’s Gerald F. Seib pointed this out when he suggested this morning that the lines are being drawn for a “Republican Civil War”.

Make no mistake about it, there are forces within the GOP that want to move on from the Trump Era. But what if he doesn’t want to go? Alienating him — and his base — would be devastating to Republicans. I honestly don’t believe I’m overstating that. It’s a political reality.

Perhaps I could illustrate this best with the following scenario—

In the weeks following the inauguration of President Joe Biden, Donald Trump holds a press conference, lays out his grievances with the GOP, and announces the formation of a new party.

Is there any doubt that such a move would destroy the Republican Party— overnight? Millions of Donald Trump’s most devoted supporters would leave the GOP. And we’re not talking Libertarian Party numbers here. (Note: LP Presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen got 1.86 million votes in the 2020 election.) Just like that, any hope of the GOP taking back the House in 2022 or the White House in 2024 could be gone.

Now, I’ll admit this is an extreme — and unlikely — scenario. Nevertheless, it illustrates the power of Trump.

Like it or not, if he so desires, the Republican Party is still Donald Trump’s party. And that’s a reality some folks are going to have to deal with.

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Sources:

  1. (20) Donald J. Trump on Twitter: “I will be there. Historic day!” / Twitter
  2. List of Republicans who opposed the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign – Wikipedia
  3. List of Republicans who opposed the Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign – Wikipedia
  4. Trump Job Approval Down Slightly After Election (gallup.com)
  5. Why Donald Trump is the 2024 GOP frontrunner – CNNPolitics
  6. Donald Trump, Michelle Obama Most Admired in 2020 (gallup.com)
  7. Poll: 82 percent of Trump voters say Biden’s win isn’t legitimate. (slate.com)
  8. (20) Donald J. Trump on Twitter: “The “Surrender Caucus” within the Republican Party will go down in infamy as weak and ineffective “guardians” of our Nation, who were willing to accept the certification of fraudulent presidential numbers!” / Twitter
  9. (16) Congressman Kelly Armstrong | Facebook
  10. (17) Senator John Hoeven | Facebook
  11. (17) Senator Kevin Cramer | Facebook
  12. In Trump’s Final Days, Lines Are Drawn for a Republican Civil War – WSJ
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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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