There are instances when Trump is too Trump, even for the average MAGA voter, see Herschel Walker. But as demonstrated last night when Trump endorsed Kevin McCarthy in his Republican primary, ever-demanding MAGA voters will occasionally deem Trump to be just another “RINO.” Yes, last night Trump went MAGA rogue and the cult rebelled against its leader. According to the Daily Beast:
Despite Donald Trump’s own followers booing and calling Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) a “RINO,” the ex-president sent out a statement late Saturday night endorsing McCarthy in his quest for 2022 re-election.
“Congressman Kevin McCarthy is an outstanding Representative,” Trump wrote, calling the GOP House leader “strong” and “fearless.”
However, after posting the endorsement to his Truth Social platform, Trump’s followers expressed disappointment in the comment section.
Disappointment? My friend Ron Filipkowski documents some reaction that isn’t so much “disappointment” as it is dismay and damnation.
Trump endorsed Kevin McCarthy last night, and MAGA reaction is .. not positive. A representative sample of the replies to Trump’s endorsement post on Truth Social. pic.twitter.com/kCRUvUVzLu
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) June 5, 2022
Right.
So what is going on here?
Well, for one, this is nothing but a primary in the middle of California and, a moment’s research reveals that McCarthy’s only Republican primary opponent is some guy who goes by the name James “Deviant” Davis, who – until recently, lived out of his car. So it is not like there was a popular “real MAGA” opponent in the primary.
Ultimately, Trump endorsed McCarthy for the same reason he does everything else. Trump bought some invaluable protection for a price that amounts to next to nothing.
The nation is about to see live primetime hearings setting forth the “mountain of evidence,” some of which is sure to be explosive, which will put a lot of heat on Trump, perhaps criminal heat. Trump needs the support of people in office right now and Trump needs McCarthy to lead some kind of organized pushback. This is especially important given that it was McCarthy who came out so strongly against Trump (Over the phone) on January 6th, 2021 and – more importantly, on January 7th, when McCarthy presumed Trump was finished in American politics and dumped the entire matter in Trump’s lap. Trump doesn’t want to antagonize McCarthy and leave McCarthy free to simply stand aside while the Select Committee unloads its evidence against Trump’s inner team.
Trump did not endorse Kevin McCarthy for speaker or even majority leader (Should the Republicans win). This is nothing more than a primary against a self-styled deviant (How did Trump resist?). Trump just purchased some loyalty and it cost him nothing more than some fury and gnashing of teeth on Truth Social.
And besides, no one ever said Trump was a “good” cult leader.
Jason Miciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, while also studying scientific philosophy, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact for speaking engagements or any concerns.
