Do All Republican Roads Lead to Donald Trump?
Former President Donald Trump recently told Fox News that he was taking a potential 2024 run “beyond seriously.” Source: USA Today Network
Much speculation about the future of the Republican Party and its prospects in the 2024 presidential election has already entered the realm of political discussion. However, former President Donald Trump’s continued displays of dominance in GOP internal politics further widens the divide between staunch Trump allies and other Republicans who seek to move past the era of Donald Trump. In light of the recent closed-door donor retreat held at Mar-a-Lago to gear up for the 2022 midterm elections last weekend and the party’s inability to move on from the former president, the question remains: do all Republican roads lead to Donald Trump?
The answer to this question, at the present moment, is yes. While some in the GOP, including, perhaps most notably, former President George W. Bush, have tried to distance the party from Trump and his isolationist policies, the loudest MAGA voices dominate the scene. Legislators like Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and many others continue to relentlessly defend President Trump and obstruct President Biden’s agenda in Congress. These individuals, the former president’s most loyal supporters, are who dominate the Republican Party.
It is important not to over-generalize the GOP. Certainly, there are many Republicans in the U.S. and elected members of Congress who are reminiscent of a past era of the party before Donald Trump entered the scene, Senator Mitt Romeny and the late Senator John McCain come to mind, however it has become abundantly clear that these individuals are in the minority of the Republican Party and it does not seem likely that they alone can move the party past Trump. In fact, the GOP seems to be turning increasingly more towards the emanation of Donald Trump rather than a 180-degree turn in the opposite direction.
Donald Trump himself is leading the charge to shape the party’s direction over the next four years. During his speech at Mar-a-Lago, Trump attacked two of his formerly most loyal supporters, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his own Vice President Mike Pence. While McConnell’s favor with Trump had wavered at times, Pence did not draw the ire of the former president until the very end when he fulfilled his constitutional duty to preside over the counting of Electoral College votes in January, officially acknowledging Joe Biden’s win. Since that moment, Donald Trump himself and a significant portion of his supporters have disavowed Mike Pence.
Donald Trump’s actions post-presidency will have drastic consequences for the 2024 Republican presidential primaries and the party overall. Until a majority of the party renounces Trump and moves closer to the middle of the political spectrum, the GOP will not be loosed from the grip of the former president. Until that happens, any Republican hopeful for a seat in Congress in 2022 or the presidency in 2024, must have the approval and support of Donald Trump. Even if the former president himself does not run again in 2024, he will likely have the ultimate say in who the nominee is and will continue to influence Republican politics in perpetuity. It is no exaggeration that the Republican Party remains the party of Donald Trump.