String of losses shows limits to Trump’s power in GOP
WOODSTOCK, Ga. — Donald Trump opened May by lifting a trailing Senate candidate in Ohio to the Republican nomination, seemingly cementing the former president’s kingmaker status before another possible White House run. He’s ending the month, however, stinging from a string of defeats that suggests a diminishing stature.
Trump faced a series of setbacks in Tuesday’s primary elections as voters rejected his efforts to unseat two top targets for retribution: Georgia’s Republican governor and secretary of state, both of whom rebuffed Trump’s pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. But the magnitude of defeat in the governor’s race — more than 50 percentage points — was especially stunning and raised questions about whether Republican voters are beginning to move on from Trump.
Nearly six years after the onetime reality television star launched what seemed to be an improbable campaign for the White House, the “Make America Great Again” movement Trump helmed isn’t going anywhere. But voters are increasingly vocal in saying that the party’s future is about more than Trump.
“I like Trump a lot, but Trump is in the past,” said David Butler, of Woodstock, Georgia, who voted for Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday and said Trump’s endorsements had “no” impact “whatsoever” on his thinking.
Trump sought to play down the losses by his favored candidates, saying on his social media platform Wednesday that he had a “very big and successful evening of political
Endorsements.”
Still, the pattern of high-profile defeats is hard to ignore. After J.D. Vance vaulted from third to first place following Trump’s endorsement in the Ohio Senate primary, the dynamics took a turn. Trump’s pick in Nebraska’s primary for governor lost after allegations surfaced that he had groped women.
In Idaho a week later, the governor beat a Trumpbacked challenger. In North Carolina, voters rebuffed Trump’s plea to give a scandal-plagued congressman a second chance. And in Pennsylvania, a marquee Senate primary featuring Trump-endorsed Mehmet Oz was close enough to trigger a recount Wednesday.
But Trump’s biggest upset was in Georgia, where former Sen. David Perdue, whom Trump had lobbied to run, lost to Kemp. The governor was among Trump’s top targets after he refused to overturn the results of the 2020 White House election in his state.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who defied Trump’s call to “find” the votes to change the outcome two years ago — a call now under investigation — also won his party’s nomination. Attorney General
Chris Carr and Insurance Commissioner John King — both opposed by Trump — were also successful in their primaries.
In Alabama, Rep. Mo Brooks, whose Senate endorsement Trump rescinded, made it to a runoff, having gained support after Trump dropped him.
Trump has endorsed in nearly 200 races, often inserting himself into contests that aren’t particularly competitive and helping bolster his compilation of wins.
His early support helped football great Herschel Walker and Rep. Ted Budd sail to their respective Senate primary nominations in Georgia and North Carolina. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s former press secretary, easily won the GOP nomination for governor in Arkansas.
But some Republicans grouse that precious time and money have been wasted on an ego-driven vengeance campaign, forcing incumbents to defend themselves in primaries rather than focus on general elections. They worry Trump has elevated some candidates who may prove unelectable in the November general election and has exacerbated divisions.