Trump's wrath is keeping "many" of the 35 Senate Republicans who haven't endorsed a candidate for 2024 from telling the truth about their own preferences, according to a new report.
Trump carries the baggage of having been impeached twice and indicted twice, and some Republicans reportedly see him as a political anchor holding the party back from winning. This is evidenced by the fact that Trump himself lost in 2020, and then in 2022 a fabled "red wave" didn't achieve what many thought it would.
Yet fear of retribution from Trump is keeping some from endorsing their candidate, according to the Washington Post's report by Congressional bureau chief Paul Kane. Kane's analysis suggests some candidates, such as Sen. Tim Scott, aren't seeing the endorsements they would if it weren't for the looming presence of Trump.
Despite having broad popularity in the Senate, Kane reported, "Scott only has two colleagues backing his bid: South Dakota Sens. Mike Rounds and John Thune. All told, 35 Senate Republicans remain on the sidelines of the 2024 contest, more than 70 percent of the caucus, and it’s crystal clear that many are paralyzed by the fear that former president Donald Trump might seek revenge if they publicly support someone else."
The article continues:
“A lot of them, they don’t want to get on the wrong side of Trump,” Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said Thursday, laughing out loud about how often that happens.
