Trump ‘fires warning shot’ to Republicans
Ex-president’s support for Arizona chairman is ‘show of strength’ to divided party before impeachment vote
THE acrimonious split within Republican ranks widened over the weekend as Donald Trump made his foray back into politics, backing the re-election of a hard-line supporter as chairman of the party in Arizona. His wholehearted support for Kelli Ward was seen by allies as the former US president firing a warning shot across the bows of any Republican senators considering backing his impeachment.
Underlining Mr Trump’s grip on the Republican grass roots, the Arizona party also voted to censure John Mccain’s widow, Cindy, former senator Jeff Flake and governor Doug Ducey, who refused to back the former president’s claims of election fraud.
Mr Trump’s intervention came amid reports he is considering setting up a
“Patriot Party” which would spearhead primary challenges to his opponents in the 2022 midterm elections.
The former president has already amassed a massive war chest with his Save America political action committee declaring last month it had raked in $207.5 million in donations.
Sam Nunberg, a former political adviser to Mr Trump, believes the Patriot Party would – like the Tea Party – work to get supporters nominated as Republican candidates.
“These are the people he will support in the primaries,” he said. “This shows if you are a Republican and you vote to convict Donald Trump and have a primary, you might as well retire.
“It’s a show of strength. Especially with Mitch Mcconnell coming out and criticising president Trump, and he is one of the most powerful people in the party.”
Jeff Lord, who worked in the Reagan White House, said the vote in Arizona demonstrated the grip that Mr Trump now had on the Republican Party.
“This is fairly typical, this is Trump versus the establishment, this is going to be a battle royal,” he said. “He did get 75million votes and these people will stick with him.”
There has been mounting anger among Mr Trump’s most fervent supporters at “establishment” Republicans who broke with Mr Trump. Mrs Mccain dismissed the vote of censure, describing it as a “badge of honour”.
The impeachment vote will be the first indication of the extent of the division within Republican ranks.
Only one Republican, Mitt Romney, broke ranks with the party in the first impeachment trial by supporting Mr Trump’s removal from office. More are expected to do so this time, but the view in Washington is that it is unlikely the number of defectors will reach the 17 needed for impeachment to be passed.
According to The New York Times, Mr Mcconnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, has told associates that he believes Mr Trump committed impeachable offences.
Mr Trump has moved to his golf resort at Mar-a-lago in Florida, where reportedly members are leaving because it has become a “sad place” since the former president took up residence.