Trump Asks to Delay Start of 2024 Campaign After Poor Midterm Results – National

The US midterm elections were supposed to unleash a red wave that could triumphantly ride the Republican nomination as former President Donald Trump prepares to begin another White House run.

Instead, Tuesday night’s disappointing results against Republicans raise new questions about Trump’s appeal and the future of the party that has fully embraced him.

In fact, some allies have called on Trump to postpone an announcement he had planned for next week, prompting Trump-backed football great Herschel Walker to join Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock. He said all of the party’s focus should be on Georgia, which is trying to remove him. Re-determine control of the Senate.

“I’m going to advise him to delay the announcement until after the runoff vote in Georgia,” said former Trump adviser Jason Miller, who spent the night with the former president at the Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. said. “Georgia now needs to be the focus of every Republican in the country,” he said.

After losing the White House in 2020, Trump sought to use the midterm elections as an opportunity to prove his enduring political clout. He backed his more than 330 candidates in a race up and down the ballot, often promoting inexperienced and seriously flawed candidates. He greatly enjoyed their first victory. But many of their positions were out of step with mainstream politics, including repeating Trump’s lies about the stolen 2020 election and embracing hardline views on abortion.

Trump scored some big wins Tuesday, especially in Ohio. There, his Senator-selected author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” J.D. Vance, scored an easy victory after Trump’s endorsement pushed him to the forefront of a crowded primary race. . In North Carolina, Trump’s early nominee, Rep. Ted Budd, won the Senate seat in Republican hands.

But Trump lost out on some of the night’s biggest awards. Especially in Pennsylvania, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who narrowly won the Senate primary with Trump backing, lost to Democrat John Fetterman. The pro-Trump candidate also lost in the gubernatorial races of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Maryland, and the Senate race in New Hampshire, but Trump appeared to be celebrating New Hampshire, leading Republican Dan Bolduc to run for Trump’s election. Bashing him for trying to soften his stance by withdrawing his support…a lie.

“If he had stayed strong and honest, he would have won easily,” Trump said on his social media. “LESSONS LEARNED!!!” (Trump also welcomed the loss of Colorado Republican Senate candidate Joe O’Dea.

It was too early for other high-stakes races in Arizona and Nevada.

In fact, the GOP’s biggest win of the night was Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis cruises to re-election, cementing himself as a national Republican star while eyeing a possible 2024 run. I made it.

“I just started fighting,” he told his supporters in his victory speech.

Republicans still appear well-positioned to overthrow the House and may eventually win the Senate as well, but dissatisfaction with record inflation combined with President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings have put them in a better position to do so. Those who believed it would bring about a quick and decisive victory were pointing the finger at the former. The night’s message, they argued: Americans want to move forward.

“We had a historic opportunity, and Trump took a candidate who was not elected, and we failed,” said Scott Reed, a veteran Republican strategist. . “Trump is now on a three-game losing streak in Republican elections and it’s time to get out of this stupidity.”

Reid argued that Republicans had “everything going for us: the money, the agenda in question, Biden in the tank,” but Trump teasing his run in the final stretch of the race. Independents and Democrats have come together to vote. ”

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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is considering a 2024 presidential run, is a longtime Trump friend and adviser turned critic, and Republicans have called it a “radical decision.” should be brought down,” he said.

“We lost in ’18. We lost in ’20. We lost in Georgia in ’21. We can’t increase the numbers and we may not win the Senate despite the president getting 40% job approval,” he said. “There is only one person to blame for that, and that is Donald Trump.”

He accused Trump of promoting a deeply flawed candidate who won the primary but struggled in the general election.

“The only animated factor[for him]in deciding endorsements is ‘Do you think the 2020 election was stolen or not?’ It’s not “Do you have a clear vision for the future of your state or district?” This is not evidence of past success in communicating with voters. It’s a completely self-centered decision. ”

Mr Trump, meanwhile, has publicly claimed that he is happy with the outcome.

“Yesterday’s election was somewhat disappointing in some ways, but from a personal standpoint it was a very big win. 219 wins and 16 losses in the general election. Can anyone do better? ?” he wrote on the Truth Social network Wednesday afternoon.

His spokesman, Taylor Vuwitch, also touted Trump’s endorsement record, saying, “President Trump has his sights set on the future, so it’s time to set his America First agenda, which he won overwhelmingly at the ballot box last night.” We will continue to defend it,” he said.

But David Urban, a Republican strategist and former adviser to President Trump, said Trump’s brand is hurt no matter what the former president says.

“Of course he’s going to claim victory, right? The president is touting an achievement record that includes winning an uncontested race. He can say whatever he wants. But , how do people feel in America? I think people don’t like Trump’s brand right now,” Urban said. “This is bad.”

Some worry that if Trump goes ahead with an announcement he had planned for next week, it could rekindle the Republican loss in Georgia in 2021.

Former Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who now works for Fox News, advised on-air that Trump should hold off on an announcement until the Georgia senator runoff is over.

“I think he needs to pause,” she said. Asked if Trump should campaign in the state, she said, “I think you have to do the strategic math. Governor DeSantis, given what happened last night, he should be welcomed into the state.” I think so. We need to see the reality of the scene.”

Mr. Budwitch did not answer questions about such efforts, but Mr. Trump appeared to throw cold water on the advice.

“We’ve had tremendous success,” he told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “Why would anything change?”

Meanwhile, Trump’s setbacks have given new hope to a long list of potential rivals who have been quietly waiting and facing the decision of whether to run.

That includes DeSantis, who emerged as the clear winner of the night. “Defuture,” declared the New York Post. DeSantis, on top of the big margin of victory, backed Democratic hometown Miami-Dade and did so without Trump’s endorsement. (Trump told reporters he voted for governor days after insulting him as “Ron DeSanctimonias.”)

“DeSantis finished the election on a high note,” said Republican strategist Alex Conant. You really have a formidable rival inside.”

Even some Democrats recognized DeSantis’ strength.

José Parra, a Miami-based Democratic strategist, said Trump’s rivals “have a wind in their sails” after better-than-expected performances across the state, particularly Miami-Dade County in South Florida. ” enters the 2024 conversation.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Biden said his “intent” was to run again. However, noting the new rivalry between Trump and DeSantis, he said, “It would be fun to see them fight each other.”

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples and Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.