MAGA in the States: Chaos, Infighting, and Extremism

There are so many MAGA Republicans across the country stumbling over their own extremism, disorganization, and internal chaos under Donald Trump’s thumb that it might be hard to keep track. So we’ll do it for you. We want to make sure you’re up to date so we’re launching this new series for updates spotlighting the latest GOP disarray from coast to coast.

Take a look:

The moment Trump took over the RNC, they killed their shallow attempt to reach communities of color in key battleground states. Still bleeding financially, the RNC has finally come to terms with the fact that no amount of “community centers” will make up for how disrespectful and disastrous Trump is for Black and Brown Americans.

Daily Beast: “In January, The Messenger reported that the RNC had already shuttered most of the nearly two dozen Hispanic Community Centers that served as the base for the program, leaving just five open.” 

“But two people with knowledge of the plans told The Daily Beast that the RNC has decided to scrap that effort. Instead, the people said, the community center program now appears to be another casualty of the RNC’s recent restructuring—a bloodbath that has already claimed several dozen jobs, including senior leadership posts, along with the apparent decimation of field operations and other strategic realignments that could come at the cost of Republican candidates across the country not fortunate enough to be named Trump.

“Instead of going after minority voters, the RNC apparently plans to remake itself even more in Trump’s image.”

Infighting has gotten so bad in Arizona that Republicans are actually fighting. A “key Trump ally” and former chair of the Arizona Republican Party who tried to help the failed former president undermine the will of the people by attempting to overturn the election has been accused of physically assaulting a fellow Republican during their own party meeting.

Arizona Mirror: “A fellow Republican accused former Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward of assault during the state party’s January meeting at a Phoenix church. … Ward is also facing possible prosecution for her role as a fake elector in the 2020 election.”

Rolling Stone: “Arizona’s criminal probe into the 2020 fake electors plot is heating up and investigators are now asking plenty of questions about a key Donald Trump ally involved in it: former state GOP chair Kelli Ward.”

“The sources add that Ward — once one of the state’s most prominent Republicans — and her potential contacts and private activities following Election Day 2020 have been of particular interest to investigators as of late. One of these sources describes Arizona investigators as ‘moving aggressively’ on this stage of the inquiry into the state’s pro-Trump fake electors, which included Ward, a Trump hardliner and then-chair of the Arizona Republican Party.”

Like President Biden emphasized during his State of the Union address: Political violence has no place in America. But Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans, including members of the Kansas GOP this week, continue to actively encourage physical assault instead of discourse. 

Kansas City Star: “When the fundraiser took place Friday night, the headline turned out to be a mannequin of President Joe Biden that attendees could punch, kick and otherwise beat up on.”

“But the Biden effigy – and the event itself – underscores how the Johnson County Republican Party has been reshaped over the past eight years under former President Donald Trump and his brand of insult politicking.”

“The behavior on display at the Johnson County Republican Party fundraiser has its roots in Trump, Kessinger argued, saying the former president has made ‘that sort of behavior acceptable and desired.’”

In Nevada, Trump has continued to embrace people who supported overturning the 2020 election and advocated for political violence. This week, he endorsed a fake elector who has been indicted for trying to steal the 2020 election for Trump, as well as an RNC candidate who called for the current attorney general’s “hanging.”

Raw Story: “Former President Donald Trump endorsed an explosive figure in Nevada politics for re-appointment to her position representing the state GOP in the Republican National Committee on Tuesday.”

“Her [2022 state attorney general] campaign was derailed by scandal after leaked messages of her appearing to endorse the hanging of [incumbent Attorney General Aaron] Ford, who is Black. ‘This guy should be hanging from a [expletive] crane,’ she wrote to a friend, who later leaked the message to sabotage her campaign.”

Jon Ralston, Nevada Independent: “Alternate hed: Indicted guy endorses indicted guy (DeGraffenreid was a fake elector) and unhinged conspiracy theorist endorses unhinged conspiracy theorist (Chattah puts out crazy stuff here and once said a Black AG should be ‘hanging from a f’ing crane.’)
Not sending their best.”