Republicans cringe as Trump 2024 approaches - POLITICO - POLITICO

Trump is keeping a cautious ticker connected who successful GOP enactment has endorsed him, adjacent earlier helium has officially announced helium is moving for president again, which he’s expected to bash connected Tuesday night. But if helium is expecting an avalanche of support, he’ll beryllium waiting a while. Even his staunchest allies declined to connection an endorsement connected Monday.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has stood with Trump done heavy and bladed since his onetime rival became president, said “let’s spot what helium says … I’ll archer you aft Georgia.” Lummis added that she’s “kind of disappointed that, if [Trump] announces something, that it volition beryllium a distraction from the Georgia race.”

And Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who led objections to President Joe Biden’s predetermination victory, said his superior absorption is connected figuring retired wherefore legislature Republicans got their projections of a ascendant predetermination truthful wrong. Hawley is trying to oust Mitch McConnell arsenic GOP leader, a cardinal precedence of Trump’s, though GOP leaders said connected Monday they person nary volition of delaying Wednesday’s enactment elections.

“Not to instrumentality thing distant from folks who privation to tally for president, but the astir important happening is, we’ve got to person a superior talk. And it’s got to commencement here, astir what our convictions are arsenic a party,” Hawley said.

He underscored that the GOP should incorporated elements of Trumpism arsenic it moves forward. “There’ll beryllium clip for the property contests later. And that’s nary sound connected the erstwhile president.”

On the House side, enactment leaders similar Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and whip hopeful Jim Banks (R-Ind.) already vowed to backmost Trump adjacent earlier his bid is official, which astir expect to hap connected Tuesday nighttime astatine Mar-a-Lago. Not surprisingly, Senate Republicans are offering an adjacent chillier reception aft they saw their dreams of a bulk evaporate earlier their eyes with Trump-backed candidates successful cardinal races.

South Dakota’s John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, had nary qualms connected Monday astir declaring helium wouldn’t endorse Trump successful a contested primary. Neither did Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), saying: “No. I’m definite I’ll enactment the nominee of the Republican Party, but I deliberation there’s apt to beryllium a competitory superior election.” Both are prospective successors to McConnell, who declined to comment.

“It’s wide that moving connected relitigating the 2020 predetermination is not a winning strategy,” Thune said. “I’m not endorsing anybody, astatine this point.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said helium had “no comment” connected Trump’s apt tally portion Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said helium wasn’t taking immoderate questions.

Some enactment it much frankly astir Trump successful private, a motion that not everyone is comfy speaking their caput publically and risking his wrath.

“In a contested contention successful a Republican primary, determination are different radical that I would support,” said 1 rank-and-file House Republican, speaking candidly connected information of anonymity. “I tin marque a beardown lawsuit wherever helium outgo america the House successful ‘18, outgo america the Senate successful ‘22. And outgo america the White House successful ‘20. And yet helium wants america to rehire him due to the fact that helium likes the attention.”

In the House, wherever Trump mostly has much enactment among the rank-and-file, lawmakers said they’d beryllium watching eagerly connected Tuesday nighttime and touted his grounds arsenic president. But fewer were consenting to perpetrate to endorsing him, saying they privation to spot however the remainder of the 2024 tract shapes up and would support a adjacent ticker connected the rollout of Trump’s apt campaign.

“He’s got a record. He’s proven that that is however helium tin perform,” Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) said. “So therefore, perfectly I’m going to beryllium giving beardown information to him. But I’m going to withhold an endorsement until we spot wherever things go.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, meanwhile, declined to remark connected Trump’s 2024 ambitions arsenic helium emerged from a closed-door GOP league gathering connected Monday nighttime that was centered connected enactment elections: “We’ll spot what happens there, but close present we’re moving towards getting the Congress back.“

Trump’s preemptive onslaught connected 2 promising imaginable 2024 Republican challengers — DeSantis and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia — is besides exacerbating tensions with chap Republicans. Since the election, Trump has publically mocked Youngkin’s sanction and attacked “Ron Desanctimonious” arsenic insufficiently loyal.

Both men won battleground races for politician successful the past 2 years.

“I don’t recognize wherefore he’s going aft DeSantis,” said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a subordinate of the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus. “He’s fundamentally carrying retired Trump’s policies. Look what he’s done successful Florida. That’s the lone authorities wherever we had a reddish day. They’re successful lockstep policies.”

Congressional Republicans were dilatory to clasp Trump during the 2016 cycle, but by the clip helium was moving for re-election, astir the full enactment was down him. This clip Trump starts retired determination successful betwixt — and adjacent those who backmost him aren’t bending to his each whim.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) said helium would enactment Trump, but that helium besides backs McConnell arsenic GOP leader.

“Is that an oxymoron?” Tuberville asked rhetorically, referring to the long-running atrocious humor betwixt the 2 men. “Everybody’s got their opinion. As I conscionable said, I correspond Alabama.”