Rep. Thomas Massie was so desperate for Donald Trump’s endorsement in a heated race three years ago that he sponsored TV ads in Florida targeting the then-president.
Massie is now avoiding Trump and his comeback campaign. In reality, the Kentucky Republican attended a retreat for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last weekend.
“Ron DeSantis is the best governor there ever was,” he stated when asked if he planned to back a presidential candidate in the 2024 election.
Despite his advantage in every major poll, the Kentucky Republican is far from the only former Trump buddy who is staying away from the former president. Some are taking a closer look at his potential opponents, such as DeSantis and Gov. Nikki Haley. Some are purposefully sitting on the sidelines, hoping he stumbles. That feeling is spreading throughout the Republican Party, but none more so than the House GOP, whose members virtually unanimously supported Trump in both prior elections.
According to an AWN investigation, fewer than 20 House Republicans had formally endorsed Trump in the four months since he started his third candidature. Another twenty people have publicly endorsed Trump in some fashion, though not in a formal way. Only one member of House leadership, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), is among those who have endorsed her.
For the time being, Trump’s campaign does not look concerned about their congressional backing. According to a Trump adviser, members of Trump’s campaign are in regular communication with lawmakers and hope to announce more endorsements soon.
“We have an approaching slate of national and statewide endorsements that will demonstrate the unrivalled strength of President Trump’s campaign,” a Trump spokesperson, Steven Cheung, said in a statement.
“Our present list of influential endorsers surpasses and outnumbers any other campaign or future campaign in support.”
The pervasive apprehension would be unnoticeable in another period — or if a former president was not already running. Yet, in this case, the absence of public support is likely the clearest indication yet that members believe Trump’s support is no longer required for political survival. After years as one of politics’ most powerful forces, Trump’s revenge is now hardly registering as a danger.
“I’m the last person who would be concerned about that,” Massie said of potential repercussions for not backing Trump. “It has the opposite effect. You can’t go after too many members of your own party.”
Of course, the presidential primaries don’t start for another year, and the field hasn’t yet taken shape. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is the only other notable declared Republican presidential candidate thus far. DeSantis isn’t anticipated to run until the spring at the earliest, while Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) has said he’s still thinking about it. Other probable contenders include Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
In discussions with over 20 House Republicans, many cited uncertainty in the field as a reason to remain silent for the time being.
“We don’t know what it’s going to look like at the end of the day,” said Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo. ), whose suburban St. Louis area has taken a hard left under Trump. “Everyone should keep their powder dry.”
Some even went so far as to say it was time for the party to move on, while refraining from using the former president’s name.
“Primaries definitely need to be included in a discourse about the future of the party,” centrist Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) remarked when asked if he would endorse in the race. He cautioned against “coronation.”
“I’m for generational change in both parties,” said Rep. French Hill (R-Ark. ), a McCarthy buddy and former Trump backer who has declared he will not endorse in the race.
“I’m seeing Governor DeSantis a lot these days,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who also attended the Florida governor’s recent retreat. “I’m looking forward to hearing from him again.”
They all backed Trump in 2020.
Trump’s vindictive threat has lessened.
Few Republicans are ready to openly comment on whether Trump’s present lacklustre support on Capitol Hill is a portent of things to come in the next two years. What is evident, though, is that crossing Trump is seen significantly less threatening.
Since his election in 2016, Trump has been on a crusade to reshape the Republican Party in his image and to expel any members who oppose him. He has sought payback on GOP members who voted for impeachment (just two of the ten were reelected last year) and those who supported a bipartisan infrastructure programme in the last two years.
And if Trump wasn’t driving the vengeance train personally, his fans did. The House Republicans who voted to establish a commission to examine the Jan. 6 assaults saw a rise in primary challenges, and many of those who won saw their primary majorities shrink alarmingly despite fighting under-funded opponents.
Yet, the prospect of those difficult races does not appear to have pushed members towards Trump for political immunisation.
“I’m not going to endorse anyone,” said Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss. ), who was forced into a primary runoff in 2022 after a challenger used his support for the Jan. 6 panel to gain an advantage. “At this moment, it’s too early.”
And, while Trump has mostly had the field to himself thus far, few of the Republican lawmakers polled indicated they’ve heard directly from him or his team. Rep. William Timmons (R-SC) says he received a call from home-state Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally.
Timmons said the decision was simple for him, despite the fact that additional South Carolinians are expected to enter the contest. “This is Trump. Cross him at your own risk.”
Yet, not all of his coworkers shared his assessment of the situation. Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina endorsed Haley when she announced her candidature last month. Norman worked with her in the South Carolina state legislature but was formerly a Trump supporter.
Norman said he called the former president before endorsing him out of respect, but he did not fear political repercussions: “President Trump was magnanimous and he understood, and I will never have a harsh word about Donald Trump.”
He is far from the only House Republican who feels compelled to choose between long-term friends and colleagues.
“I consider Tim Scott a buddy,” said Rep. David Schweikert, who has yet to decide whether or not to endorse this cycle. The Arizona Republican served in the House alongside both Scott and DeSantis. “Ron is someone with whom we used to hang around. I have a lot of admiration for him.
Several Republican members stated that Trump and his team had not yet made considerable congressional outreach. Some members stated they got communications from Trump’s campaign but no specific endorsement requests.
“I haven’t had a call from him, Nikki Haley, Gov. DeSantis, Mike Pompeo, Tim Scott, or any of the others,” Rep. Brian Mast said (R-Fla.). That appears to be the case across the Republican Party. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), who has yet to support, said he didn’t know anyone in his delegation who had received calls on the subject: “That decision will definitely be made easier for me when the asks are made.”