Archive for the ‘Republicans’ Category
Republicans unload on Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams at rally in Brighton – coloradopolitics.com
More than 100 Colorado Republicans converged on a church in Brighton Saturday morning to talk about their efforts to replace Dave Williams as state GOP chairman.
The five-hour organizing event and gripe session was originally called as a special meeting of the state Republicans' central committee to remove Williams and other state party officers from their positions. But organizers changed course late Friday after an Arapahoe County District Court judge granted the Colorado GOP's request for a temporary restraining order to block the meeting.
In response, Williams' critics canceled the meeting and instead gathered for what they termed a rally, where county party officers, Republican congressional nominees and GOP activists made a case for changing party leadership just months before the November election.
Meeting or rally organizers Todd Watkins, the El Paso County GOP vice chair, and Nancy Pallozzi, the Jefferson County GOP chair, said they anticipate the judge will reverse his order, perhaps as soon as next week. Once that happens, they said, they plan to reschedule a meeting in August to consider whether to vote out Williams and his fellow statewide officers, Vice Chairwoman Hope Scheppelman and Secretary Anna Ferguson.
Williams' detractors maintain the former state lawmaker has marshaled party resources to buttress his own failed congressional bid and boost the candidacies of Republicans he most closely aligns with, while at the same time starving more mainstream GOP candidates of support.
Williams counters that everything he's done as GOP chair from dropping the party's longstanding position of neutrality in contested primaries to attacking Republicans he's branded as weak on a handful of issue has the enthusiastic backing of the party's governing bodies.
State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, who represents the district where the rally took place and emceed the event, reminded the crowd that statehouse Republicans have nearly slipped to super-minority status in the General Assembly, giving Democrats near carte blanche over legislation and state policy.
"People keep saying, 'Why now? Why are we doing this now?'" Kirkmeyer said. "We are divided. Our state senators, our state representatives, our candidates for those offices are not getting support form party leadership," she said, calling it "imperative" that Republicans win enough races to prevent GOP lawmakers from dropping into super-minorities in both chambers.
Several speakers took issue with the state party's decision to make endorsements in contested primaries this year, including endorsing Williams in the primary he lost by a wide margin for the El Paso County-based seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn.
Brighton Mayor Greg Mills said that the state party's track record was poor, with only four of its 18 endorsed candidates winning their primaries last month.
"As I look at state party leadership, what should they be doing?" asked Mills after welcoming fellow Republicans to his city. "They should be promoting more Republicans to represent our elected bodies. Of all the people that Mr. Williams had endorsed, only a small handful of them made it past the primary. And that's wrong."
Saying that Republicans have what he called a "golden opportunity" to unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo in the toss-up 8th Congressional District, Mills pointed to the seat's Republican nominee, state Rep. Gabe Evans, who defeated a rival, GOP-endorsed Republican in a landslide.
"We need to flip that seat to Republican, and if you're not getting a net gain of Republicans representing you, here in the state of Colorado, you've failed as our state party chair," Mills said.
Evans, who joined with fellow congressional nominees Friday calling on Williams to resign, steered clear of the party dispute during his brief remarks, instead delivering his standard stump speech. Moments later, however, he signed a petition circulated by the rally's organizers to remove Williams, Scheppelman and Ferguson from their positions.
The four Republicans who have announced they want to replace Williams each took a turn at the microphone: former U.S. Senate candidate and El Paso County GOP chair Eli Bremer; state Rep. Richard Holtorf, R-Akron; former Routt County Treasurer Brita Horn; and Douglas County GOP chair Steve Peck.
Lew Webb, a Durango Republican who lost last month's primary in the 3rd Congressional District, said he supports removing Williams and his fellow officers, comparing them to what he described as "the disease" of corruption in government.
"If we don't address curing that disease, we are doomed," Webb said. "So folks, what you're trying to do here is the right thing, because our state party officers are corrupt, pure and simple, so I am excited for y'all to do that."
Webb added that he disagreed with a previous speaker who criticized the "failed policies" enacted by the state's ruling Democrats.
"The policies are intentional, to destroy our country and our republic." Webb said. "We must address that."
The Pueblo County GOP chair told the group that Republicans in her county have come to expect indifference from the state party but characterized Williams' approach as intentionally destructive.
"As chair, I believe that the one thing I have to do is protect our candidates," Michelle Gray said. "Actively working against Republican candidates is wrong."
Noting that Republicans have been surging in the traditionally Democratic county in recent years, Gray added: "We have this mess to deal with, but we can take back our counties. We have to make sure we're doing these things to win, but we can't because the state party has never helped us before. So I do hope that we have a good person elected to office that can bring unity to all of us and that can get Republicans elected into office, but I know that as a group we can do it ourselves. That's on you."
Organizers paused proceedings for about an hour to run down a rumor that the temporary restraining order that prevented them from holding a formal meeting wasn't in effect but resumed speeches after their lawyers located a court document and assured them the order was valid.
Scheppelman told Colorado Politics that the blind alley was emblematic of their critics' misguided approach.
"This just shows how dishonest the minority of anti-Trump fraudsters in the GOP really are," Scheppelman said in a text message. "They have to lie about Chairman Williams because their smears have no validity and they know he's been fighting for the grassroots Trump supporters who elected him, just as he promised he would do Dave and the party will continue to help elect all Republicans in Colorado in November, including Donald J. Trump."
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Republicans unload on Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams at rally in Brighton - coloradopolitics.com
With Vances rocky debut, Republicans ask if Trumps VP bet will pay off – The Washington Post
Until the very end, some people close to Donald Trump tried to talk the former president out of picking Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate.
Aboard Trumps plane en route to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) argued that Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) would be better than the untested Vance because the Cuban American senator might attract more votes in battleground states. He tried to recruit others on Trumps plane to support his position, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.
Another adviser argued in a phone call a couple of days earlier that Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) or Rubio would be a better choice because of Vances previous comments opposing abortion, asking Trump how he would defend some of the senators positions that seemed further to the right than his.
An array of senators, donors, conservative media personalities and other supporters called Trump in the final 48 hours before the announcement, lobbying for Rubio or someone other than Vance because they said other candidates could attract additional voters to Trumps coalition, according to five people familiar with the talks who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Trump listened as each person made their case, but they said the former president said his gut had been with Vance for many weeks, if not months liking his Rust Belt upbringing, foreign and economic policy positions, pugnacious TV appearances, and academic pedigree. Vance had influential backers, including Donald Trump Jr. and tech billionaires.
Trump later said choosing Vance was a difficult pick, likening it to The Apprentice, his former reality television show, in a meeting with Floridas delegates in Milwaukee. But Trump said it was partially about securing the future of the Republican Party after he was gone. He is going to be a superstar in the future, Trump told delegates and donors huddled inside the Baird Center, according to an attendee.
Whether that bet one of the most consequential Trump will make this year pays off remains unclear. In the nearly two weeks since, President Biden has dropped out of the race and Vice President Harris is now the likely Democratic nominee, energizing Democrats. Vance, meanwhile, had a rocky first full week on the campaign trail since departing the convention, attracting unwanted attention to the Republican ticket.
The Trump campaign has spent the past week trying to clean up after Vances controversial comments, including previous interviews in which he mocked childless cat ladies or took a position on abortion much stronger than Trumps.
In addition, previous emails between Vance and a friend reported by the New York Times show Vance saying he hated the police because they mistreated people, calling Trump a morally reprehensible human being and saying that the more white people feel like voting for Trump, the more Black people will suffer. A Trump adviser called the emails not ideal.
Vance has come under attack from friendly quarters, as well, including the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board, social media personality Dave Portnoy and conservative media star Ben Shapiro. Some question the vetting from Trumps team and are asking if picking Vance could now backfire.
Some Republican strategists said they fear Vance could hurt the ticket with suburban women a group where Trump saw significant erosion in his 2020 loss after his 2016 win. Among Trump allies, there has been constant discussion about whether the president made a bad choice, according to one longtime adviser. Text message chains have blown up with his awkward public appearances, the person said.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung defended Vances performance as Trumps running mate. He said the criticism is nothing more than musings from out-of-touch individuals who have no idea whats going on. They are so out of the loop, they might as well be living in a different universe.
Trumps campaign aides say the former president remains confident in Vance. The two appeared together at a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday evening and at a Minnesota rally Saturday. Vance flew to Oklahoma City on Friday, where he headlined a fundraiser with oil baron Harold Hamm that was said to have raised more than $2 million. He is expected to keep a busy travel schedule both appearing in Midwestern states and raising money. The campaign has also been pleased with Vances sharp attacks against Harris in recent speeches.
President Trump is thrilled with the choice he made with Senator Vance to be his running mate, and they are the perfect team to take back the White House, Cheung said. Meanwhile, Democrats are in complete disarray after their coup that forcibly removed Biden from the campaign, proving they are the real threats to democracy.
Trump was aware, advisers said, that Vance had been critical of him in the past. People familiar with the vetting said that Trumps team was aware of some, but not all, of his previous comments that have drawn attention and expect more revelations to come. Top advisers to Trump watched many of his previous interviews, read his book, Hillbilly Elegy, and asked him questions, along with a more formal paperwork process, a Trump adviser said.
A thorough and exhaustive vetting obviously took place and there was no doubt Senator Vance was absolutely qualified to be the next Vice President of the United States. In politics, people usually cower in fear and curl up in a ball when things get tough. Not Senator Vance and certainly not President Trump, Cheung said.
Kevin Madden, a spokesman for Mitt Romneys presidential campaigns, said the Trump-Vance campaign appears to have been caught flat-footed with past comments.
Every single day on a presidential campaign, you are getting a political colonoscopy, Madden said. But whats compounded here in this case, were talking about a 39-year-old who is one-third of the way through his Senate term and thats why youre seeing the sort of bumpy start.
The particularly rough start for Vance has come as a welcome surprise for the Harris campaign, according to a Harris aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share private conversations. Although they had expected Vance to face some questions over his past critiques of Trump, the Harris team had not expected some of the harsh internet buzz.
We did not expect we would have cat lady news cycles, the aide said. This is organically happening without us pushing. Ive never seen anything like it. Its so weird.
The Harris campaign has tried to highlight other past comments, such as Vances positions on abortion an issue Trump has often sought to avoid and that polls show is a vulnerability for Republicans with the general electorate. People close to the Harris campaign say the selection of Vance makes the arguments easier.
KamalaHQ, the Harris campaigns rapid-response X account, has repeatedly posted old Vance content. In one video clip from a 2021 talk about no-fault divorces, Vance says that divorces, even after domestic abuse, maybe worked out for the moms and dads, though Im skeptical. But it really didnt work out for the kids of those marriages.
In an audio clip from a 2022 podcast, Vance advocates for a federal response to restrict women traveling across state lines for abortions. And in a 2016 video of Vance on the speaking circuit after his book release, he says Trump is a really bad candidate and frankly I think hes a really bad person.
Vance has said those clips about policy positions were taken out of context and that his position on Trump has evolved since he saw Trump in action as president.
Vance has drawn significant mockery and derision for having said on Fox News in 2021 that women politicians like Harris who havent given birth are childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives. He added that they have no direct stake in Americas future.
Vance went on Megyn Kellys show and tried to clarify these previous comments. Ive got nothing against cats. Ive got nothing against dogs. Ive got one dog at home and I love him, he said. People are focusing so much on the sarcasm and not on the substance of what I actually said, and the substance of what I said, Megyn Im sorry, it is true. It is true that weve become anti-family. It is true that the left has become anti-child.
Vance spokesman William Martin said it was no surprise that Democrats were attacking Vance and that Vance was planning instead to highlight the Biden administrations record on inflation and immigration. Those are the issues voters actually care about, no matter how much the leftwing media wishes otherwise, Martin said.
Vance was pushed by Trump Jr., the former presidents eldest son, and a range of influential others, including tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and media personalities such as Tucker Carlson.
One of Trumps goals in the pick was to have a candidate with Midwest roots who could camp out in states like Pennsylvania and talk to blue-collar voters. Trump is underperforming with White men and Vance could help shore up that base, advisers say.
Another goal was to tap into Vances significant donor network, including in Silicon Valley. And Trump liked Vance on television, advisers said.
JDs book is number one on Amazon right now. People are paying him to read his life story. The Harris campaign will have to pay TV networks and social media platforms to tell her life story, said Justin Sayfie, a Florida lobbyist who has raised money for Trump.
David Urban, a longtime Trump ally in Pennsylvania, said he believed Vances personal story would resonate with blue-collar voters.
If he goes and says to people at a town hall, or at a rally, how many people have been affected by drugs and alcohol? How many people in this crowd have worked two or three jobs and feel like they cant get ahead? How many people in this crowd have joined the military to further yourself? Urban said.
So far, Vance has received warm, if far smaller, welcomes than Trump.
One of the first bumps in the campaign trail came as early as Vances rally Monday in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio. The auditorium of the high school he attended filled with a few hundred people, including those he had known from childhood among them his mother and a beloved math teacher chanting J-D!
When an audience member shouted at Vance about requiring identification to vote, the candidate, new to the national stage, got distracted. The diatribe that followed became the most watched moment from the whole event.
It is the weirdest thing to me, Democrats say that it is racist to believe well, they say its racist to do anything. I had a Diet Mountain Dew yesterday and one today; Im sure theyre going to call that racist, too, he said.
Greg Hieser, 68, watched the event and said he still believed Trump and Vance would win even if he had some misgivings about Vances speaking style.
Hes still green about it, Hieser said, but hell get the hang of it.
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With Vances rocky debut, Republicans ask if Trumps VP bet will pay off - The Washington Post