Since losing the Jan. 3, 2020 presidential election, 75-year-old President Donald Trump has been on the warpath denigrating elected officials that didn’t back his claims of massive election fraud. Whatever happened to upend Trump’s bid for re-election, massive election fraud was not proved in any state or voting precinct around the country. House Democrats blamed Trump for the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riots where, continuing, through the Democrat-dominated House Select Committee, to prove that the so-called “insurrection” was due to Trump’s Jan. 6 speech on the Washington D.C. Ellipse. House Democrats led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) impeached Trump for “incitement of insurrection,” only to see the U.S. Senate acquit Trump Feb. 13, 2020 of the charges. No elected officials actually believed that Jan. 6 Capitol Hill rioters tried to overthrow the U.S. government.
Trump’s loss to 79-year-old President Joe Biden was caused by a number of factors, not least of which was the deadly novel coronavirus pandemic. When you add to that the recession that followed, not to mention the May 25, 2020 George Floyd police murder, it all added up to upend Trump’s 2020 re-election bid. So when Trump harps on massive election fraud, there’s simply not enough evidence but plenty of evidence that low approval ratings, caused largely by bad press coverage, all combined to torpedo Trump’s chances for four more years. Trump has something in common with former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who, after her loss to Trump in 2016, blamed everyone and everything but herself on losing to Trump. Trump’s been doing the same thing after losing to Biden Nov. 3, 2020. Trump’s been calling on Republicans to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as Minority leader.
Calling McConnell a “broken old crow,” Trump criticized the senior Kentucky senator to joining Democrats to get a Continuing Budget Resolution [CBR] to continue government’s funding. “Mitch McConnell is giving the Democrats victory on everything,” Trump said in a statement delivered by spokeswoman Liz Harrington. Trump was furious with McConnell that he didn’t join the “election fraud” bandwagon, refusing business-as-usual with Democrats until election fraud issues were properly resolved. “What’s wrong with the “broken old crow? He’s hurting the Republican Senators and the Republican Party. When will they vote him out of Leadership,” Trump asked. But if you ask most GOP senators, they’d find Trump as more of the GOP’s problem than McConnell. Fighting over the debt ceiling is a frivolous waste of time since the government must continue functioning.
Trump’s frustrated because he’s on the outs watching the Biden administration reverse many of his accomplishment, the same thing he did to former President Barack Obama. Hinting that he’d run again for president in 2024, Trump’s largely on the sidelines, having little impact or commanding little media attention. Hillary finds herself in the news every time she comments about Trump, yesterday saying she believes he’ll run for president in 2024. Whether that’s true or not is anyone’s guess. At age 75 and 78 if he runs in 2024, it looks unrealistic for Trump to give it another shot. At the same time, Biden, would be 82 running for president, making him look even more decrepit, prompting a whisper campaign in Democrat circles to question who, if anyone, would run in 2024 other than Biden. If Joe’s approval ratings continue to head south, it’s unlikely he’d run again.
Trump blasts McConnell but the 79-year-old Kentucky Senator worked hard to assure that Trump wouldn’t be convicted in the U.S. Senate in two separate impeachment trials. Trump takes his frustrations out on McConnell largely because he’s still in the headlines, not Trump. “He didn’t have the guts to play the Debt Ceiling card, which would have given the Republicans a complete victory on virtually everything. The Dems were ready to fold!” Trump said, blaming McConnell for the GOP looking like losers. Instead of ripping McConnell, Trump should look at what happens when he needs McConnell’s help, especially if he’s indicted for something related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Whatever happens in the Senate, Trump needs to focus on clearing himself from what looks like new charges that he aided-and-abetted Jan. 6 Capitol riots, something that’s difficult to prove.
Trump’s ongoing disruption to the GOP, calling for Republicans to replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, doesn’t look good for his political future. No matter how much he teases a potential run in 2024, Trump continues to expand the never Trump crowd, play disrupter more than party leader. Whatever happened on Election Day 2020, it’s water under the bridge, not something Trump can change. Trump faces a determined media to keep him out of the 2024 race. But like Biden finds out now, running the White House show at nearly 80-year-of-age is too much for any politician. Complaining about the Nov. 3 election doesn’t win Trump any votes, certainly not with Democrats and independents. Whether Republicans admit it or no, Trump won’t be the standard bearer in 2024. With President Joe Biden’s abysmal approval ratings, a fresh face for the GOP should do the trick in 2024.
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