Trump faces biggest test of his ‘king-maker’ clout since leaving White House
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The month of May brings Donald Trump the biggest test of his political clout since the end of his presidency, as candidates he has endorsed contest Republican primaries that will set the stage for November’s midterm congressional elections.
Trump-backed candidates in Ohio, Pennsylvania and North Carolina face active and well-funded challengers seeking the Republican nomination to run for U.S. Senate. The former president has also backed a challenger to Georgia’s sitting Republican governor, who angered Trump by rejecting his false claims that his 2020 election defeat was the result of fraud.
They are among the highest-profile — and in the case of the Senate, most critical for the party — of the more than 150 candidates for federal, state and local races Trump has endorsed this year. Their races will be closely scrutinized for any sign that Trump’s iron-clad grip on his party could be waning as he flirts with a possible 2024 White House run.
“It is important for him to maintain that perception and perhaps a reality that he is the king-maker in the Republican Party,” warned Republican strategist Mike Duhaime. “Trump support is still powerful, but it’s not unbeatable.”
Some of Trump’s more controversial Senate victories in May, including former football star Herschelle Walker in Georgia and television doctor Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, won’t guarantee success in the November 8 general election, and missteps may allow Democrats to hold onto their razors. Can- Thin Senate Majority.
Polls show that at least one of Trump’s May, Senate nominee JD Vance in Ohio, is leading in his Tuesday primary. But Oz is behind David McCormick ahead of the May 17 Pennsylvania primary and former Senator David Perdue is leading Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in a May 24 matchup.
The poor performance of Trump-backed candidates may not dampen their support with those of their core supporters. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week showed that 83% of Republicans view the former president favorably and 40% said he is the leader who best represents his party, his closest potential rival for the 2024 nomination. is ahead of 25% for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
“His power base is millions of disaffected voters across the country,” said Justin Saffy of Ballard Partners, a Florida-based lobbying firm that has ties to Trump. “No matter what happens to the candidates he supports, I don’t think it will change the conventional wisdom that he will still be at the forefront of the GOP nomination for 2024.”
Sources told Reuters last month that Trump is expected to finalize a mid-term spending plan for his vast battlefield after his bouts in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
