All resistance was useless: Senate candidate JD Vance, supported by ex-President Donald Trump, won the Republican primaries in Ohio. For the Republican Party, which wanted to thwart the best-selling author, this is further evidence of how much influence the former president continues to have over the conservative base.
Trump spoke out in favor of the 37-year-old less than three weeks ago. The conservative opponent Josh Mandel, who had been leading the polls up to that point, had numerous financially strong supporters from the party establishment.
JD Vance calls himself “Conservative Outsider”
But Trump’s “endorsement” for Vance, who advertised himself with the catchphrase “conservative outsider”, and the support of the German-American investor and billionaire Peter Thiel turned the race around in the last few meters. For the Republicans, who have viewed Trump critically since the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 at the latest, this is a serious defeat.
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How far Trump’s influence extends will soon be tested in further internal party primaries. Perhaps the riskiest bet is the May 24 gubernatorial election in Georgia, where Trump wants to replace incumbent governor Brian Kemp with former Senator David Purdue.
Candidates must share the “big lie” from the stolen election
Why? Because Kemp refused to throw out Biden’s victory in his state in 2020. Purdue, in turn, shares Trump’s “big lie” about the stolen election. Kemp is currently – still – clearly leading in polls.
It will also be exciting on May 17 when deciding who will run for one of Pennsylvania’s two Senate seats. Here, the 75-year-old ex-president, to the displeasure of many in his party, opted for the dazzling Turkish-born TV doctor Mehmet Oz.
Mike Pompeo supports another applicant
The curious thing: From “Dr. Oz” there are many statements from the past that are better suited to the Democrats. This is one of the reasons why ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is said to have ambitions for the 2024 presidential election, supports the previous favorite David McCormick, who has earned billions as a hedge fund manager. McCormick had courted Trump’s “endorsement” and continues to emphasize that he is the candidate who is most like Trump.
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Many Republicans fear that candidates who are too extreme or controversial could ensure that races that are actually winnable are in favor of the Democrats.
Trump, on the other hand, seems to have no problem with changing positions – as long as the candidates today are 100 percent behind him and share his tale of the stolen election. He said of Vance: “He used to say horrible things about me. But he is a fearless fighter for our MAGA movement.”
From Trump critic to Trump loyalist
Vance’s transformation from Trump critic to Trump loyalist is a mystery to many. After Trump’s surprise victory in 2016, Vance became famous with his book “Hillbilly Elegy”, in which he wrote with great empathy about America’s white rural population, which was allegedly neglected by liberals. The book was also filmed by Netflix.
Vance had called the candidate Trump “unsuitable” for the presidency and “an idiot” whom he “never liked”. But after he announced his bid for the Senate candidacy in 2021, he did a 180-degree turn – and since then has been as radical as his powerful supporter. For example, he explained that he didn’t care what happened to Ukraine.
The Big Question: Will Trump Resume in 2024?
If Vance were to prevail in the fight for the vacant Senate seat in November against the Democratic candidate Tim Ryan, who was also elected on Tuesday, an isolationist foreign policy would also enter the US Senate. In the Ukraine crisis, Republican senators have so far largely backed the course of President Joe Biden, who wants to help Kyiv defend itself against Russia.
It is more likely that Trump will run for president again in 2024 if the candidates he supports prevail. Polls speak for it.
According to a study by Quinnipiac University, 45 percent of Republican voters would vote for a candidate supported by Trump. Only eight percent said they would reject such a candidate. 44 percent said this played no role in their voting decision.
In addition, the Democrats lost their majorities in both chambers of Congress in the “midterms”. In the election, which is considered an important mood test two years after the presidential election, the entire House of Representatives and a third of the Senate will be reelected.
