Patterico's Pontifications

12/15/2020

McConnell Makes It Official for the GOP While Trump Continues to Run The Grift

Filed under: General — Dana @ 9:36 am



[guest post by Dana]

Mitch McConnell confirmed to the deplorable Trump-supporting-GOP-suck-ups in Congress that it’s official:

“The electoral college has spoken,” he said from the Senate floor in the US Capitol, adding, “Today I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden.”

McConnell…made the remark after talking about the Donald Trump presidency in the past tense, touting his administration’s accomplishments, including the country’s “economic prosperity,” “foreign policy,” judicial appointments, and “bold regulatory changes” in a floor speech.

Unsurprisingly, President Trump continues to have trouble admitting his election loss:

Sources who’ve spoken to Trump in the past few days said he’s reluctant to talk much about a 2024 run.

That’s because “it’s an acknowledgment of the end,” said one source who spoke to Trump at length in recent days. “He’ll say, ‘Yeah, I’ll probably do it. I may do it.'”

Another source said that Trump seems depressed at the realization that his backers have given up on 2020: “He’s saying, ‘We won these states, we won those states,'” and adding that what he took away from conversations with his pollster John McLaughlin was that if he could get as many votes as he did, he also must have won.
The closest Trump has come privately to admitting where this is heading, the source added, is to say, “If we don’t win, I don’t say lose. I say ‘I don’t win.'”

But that’s OK because he’s still raking in the big bucks. A constant stream of text message, email, and phone pleas for money to help Republicans win the crucial Georgia run-off election continue at a brisk pace. However, money coming in is mostly going to Trump himself, not to the Georgia campaigns:

President Donald Trump couldn’t make it any clearer: He needs his supporters to fork over cash for the all-important Georgia Senate runoff elections.

“We MUST defend Georgia from the Dems!” he wrote in one recent text message. “I need YOU to secure a WIN in Georgia,” he said in another. “Help us WIN both Senate races in Georgia & STOP Socialist Dems,” he pleaded a few days later.

There’s just one hitch: Trump’s new political machine is pocketing most of the dough — and the campaigns of the Georgia senators competing in the Jan. 5 races aren’t getting a cent.

Trump’s aggressive fundraising blitz appears to be devoted to helping the party defend Georgia’s two Senate seats and, with them, the Senate majority. But the fine print shows that most of the proceeds are going toward Trump’s newly launched PAC, which he plans to use to fund his future political activities. Only a fraction is going to the Republican National Committee, which is investing $20 million into the runoffs.

A stampede of political figures from both parties are emailing their donors with links to donate directly to the Georgia candidates, but the president is not among them.

And what is the worry at this point? Apparently, that Trump will continue to Trump:

The predicament has intensified broader concerns within the GOP that Trump will use his post-presidency to advance his own interests at the expense of the party.

Oh, come on GOP! This is basic Trump 101. Of course he’s going to do anything to advance his post-presidency interests. And if that means leaving you in the dust, he won’t think twice about it. And you know that. We’ve all had to live with the results of your handiwork for nearly four years, there are no surprises with Trump. Why not just say it out loud: You are concerned about keeping the gravy train running in your direction.

There’s something rather amusing about the party who gave us Trump now worried that they won’t be the priority of Trump.

Here’s a look at the clever strategery of Trump aides which ensures that outcomes are maximized to benefit the President:

Trump advisers are deeply protective of the president’s coveted donor list, which is easily the biggest in Republican politics, and they say they have adopted an across-the-board policy of not allowing others to use it. The advisers reason that using the list for candidates other than the president could dilute the list’s power. And they also contend that contributors have finite resources and that they needed the funds for Trump’s reelection campaign…Trump advisers say it shouldn’t be surprising they’re using the runoffs to raise money, given that the president has frequently capitalized on headline-generating events to fill his coffers.

Anyway, you get the picture. And while this is a viable concern, it’s almost quaint when you consider that we’re talking about a self-centered, egotistical president who can’t accept defeat and sees small donors as little more than a means to an end:

But Georgia Republicans are concerned that small donors may be deceived by Trump’s fundraising appeals. Givers who don’t read the fine print closely enough may think their dollars are going directly to Loeffler and Perdue when in fact it’s going to Trump.

“Money is speech, and if it can get to the right place it should be used. But if it’s going to [Trump’s] leadership PAC and not being spent on the behalf of David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler I think that’s problematic,” said Martha Zoller, the chair of Georgia United Victory, a conservative super PAC that is planning to spend $6 million during the runoff.

Trump will be fine post-presidency. Bigly. He will continue to have a loud voice in the GOP, he will have cash on hand, and best of all, he will be able to promote…himself. As for the GOP, well, given their expressed priorities, I don’t expect much of anything to change. So, if you like your party, you can keep your party.

–Dana


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