Grab Your Popcorn: Republicans Are At Each Other’s Throats
November 11, 2022
There’s no way to sugarcoat this: Between Donald Trump having a full-blown public meltdown on Truth Social to Rick Scott and Mitch McConnell beefing over their midterm strategy, MAGA Republicans are in the midst of an all-out civil war.
The Republican Party’s leader is having a full-blown public meltdown as Republicans blame him for their performance this week. Donald Trump is taking out his rage on his rivals and lashing out at them.
GOP operative: “And fingers are pointing all around but they’re mostly pointing at Trump.”
Senator Josh Hawley tore into Republican colleagues for running on a commitment to gut Social Security and Medicare, saying that campaigning on the plan was “nuts” — and quite literally admitted that coming after these critical programs was the GOP’s plan all along.
And earlier this week, New Hampshire GOP Governor Chris Sununu tried to distance himself from his fellow Republicans’ wildly unpopular midterm agenda — which consisted of introducing a national abortion ban and plans to put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block.
Chris Sununu: “I think Lindsey Graham, talking about abortion, nationalizing an abortion ban weeks before the election, did no one any help. I think some of the discussion on Social Security and Medicare out of Washington, that made people scared on that issue, did nobody any help.”
As if things weren’t looking bad enough, NRSC Chair Rick Scott had to rethink his plot to potentially challenge Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, after the decisive “Red Wave” he predicted failed to materialize on Tuesday.
POLITICO: “Senator Rick Scott of Florida was poised to challenge McConnell, Republicans briefed on his plans told me, until he decided against a bid Wednesday morning, when it became clear Republicans may not capture the majority and there was to be a Senate runoff in Georgia.”
Rick Scott and Mitch McConnell’s public feud is only escalating as the circular firing squad forms. Incredibly, McConnell didn’t even seem to have access to NRSC polling.
Washington Post: “Aides to both men clashed over where to spend money and over Scott’s personal policy agenda, which included a politically toxic proposal to reauthorize Social Security every five years.”
CNN: “Mitch McConnell’s high-spending super PAC has a suggestion for their party’s campaign committee: Consider picking candidates in primaries who won’t collapse in the general election.”
Meanwhile, knives are out for House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy — who has no real plan for governing and is totally beholden to the most extreme members of his party, like members of the House Freedom Caucus and Marjorie Taylor Greene. If Republicans take control, we all know who would really be calling the shots: Marjorie Taylor Greene and the House Freedom Caucus.
Semafor: “Members of the House Freedom Caucus aren’t happy with Tuesday’s election results and want a plan, any plan, from Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy before giving him the gavel. It’s part of a continuous push from the far-right caucus to leverage their power in what will potentially be a slim majority if Republicans regain the House.”
Not even one full week after the midterm elections, the GOP is in a state of complete and utter disarray — and extreme Republicans have no one to blame but themselves.