I miss Donald Trump. I'm not alone—I know that. The anti-Trump wing, what's left of it, is eagerly awaiting its time to retake the party. Sorry, the base has rejected you. The Liz Cheneys, Adam Kingzingers, and Mitt Romneys of the party are leaving. Their time is done. It's over.
We're done with Bushes. We're done with the McCains—who are now Democrats. And we're done with the folks who sit on a pile of money and are totally content with losing with "honor." Whatever that means.
When did winning become a periphery goal here? It's like in sports—you lose the last game of the season, and nobody gives a crap. Trump may or may not run in 2024. If he does, I'm obviously supporting him. He has the cash and the support from the base to clear the field. In the meantime, he's trying to play kingmaker. How is that going? Well, he stepped in it with the Pennsylvania race.
Trump endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz, who decided to run for the US Senate. Why? I don't know. Running for public office nowadays is the sport for crazy people—truly. Dr. Oz is not a conservative. He's pro-abortion, anti-gun, and pro-Wuhan lockdowns. He wanted what we're seeing in Shanghai to be replicated here. Not so sure the sealing people shut and killing all the pets would fly here. COVID zero is just a fancy term for authoritarianism, which nations like China take for a spin often. Yet, Australia joined that club, adopting a North Korean-style level of viciousness when it came to enforcing their COVID protocols.
The Never Trump wing of the GOP again shouts, "Look, look, he's not a true conservative" with this endorsement. We don't care, fellas. You guys haven't been conservative either. In fact, one of the faces of this movement is The Lincoln Project, whose co-founder had a rather unhealthy liking for younger men, much younger men. Also, you're all losers.
Every candidate that's been picked by the would-be Reaganites has lost. We're done. The base has changed. It's more blue collar. It's more populist. It's very much seeped in American pride and nationalism, which is not a sin. Who isn't proud to be an American? Who doesn't want to cherish the values of the Revolution? Well, liberals, I guess—they've always hated America.
Pennsylvania's Senate race isn't stacked with grade-A candidates in the top tier. I get that. You have Dr. Oz, who is awful, and David McCormick, who is even worse.
If Trump wants to be a kingmaker, someone must let him know he can decide not to endorse anyone. Some of his most die-hard supporters were not pleased with this endorsement. I wasn't.
This shows everyone else that this isn't a cult; people were pissed over this.
I like you, Donald.
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) April 10, 2022
I think you were a terrific president fighting against great odds. I think you often got a raw deal and I wrote a book about it.
And I think you are screwing up badly right now.
Find somebody who’s willing to tell you you’re wrong.
Dr Oz on the CCP’s brutal lockdowns in Wuhan
— Jack Posobiec ???? (@JackPosobiec) April 12, 2022
“We have to copy what they did. Take their blueprint and repeat it here in this country”
pic.twitter.com/2sVDXw43z0
Dr Oz literally pushed the Jussie Smollett hoax
— Jack Posobiec ???? (@JackPosobiec) April 14, 2022
Trump is the de facto leader of the GOP. It's good to be king. And the king can decide to remain neutral in races where the candidates are piles of hot garbage. There's no need. Why damage your brand this way? Pennsylvania hasn't had good candidates in nearly ten years. It's a wasteland. Like NFL general managers, bad picks in the draft can kill your team and organization. Trump should heed warnings, if any, coming from advisers on these endorsement selections.
To hurl another grenade here, there is an argument to be made that Trump endorsements don't carry the weight that they used to—that Trump supporters are more likely to show up when he is on the ticket. You saw that during the 2018 midterms. So, what's the fuss if he doles out a few bad ones? It's still part of the game. It's still his name, and I'm sure he doesn't want it attached to crappy people.
Trump can do whatever he wants. I'm not trying to make a plea for him to sit on the sidelines because I know that's not his nature, but having his war chest, the name recognition, and the power of being a former president that still commands the base does carry some responsibility with regards to maintenance. Maybe Oz promised to be a loyal Trump-like senator if elected and that's what won him over, but who knows? Pennsylvania has long been a unicorn for the GOP, so this is truly a roll of the dice. Until Trump's 2016 win, the last time a GOP presidential candidate carried the state was George H.W. Bush in 1988.
I would have stayed clear of the Keystone State this cycle, but that's just me.