It seems it’s not just Democrats who are hoping that Donald Trump will be dealt a devastating defeat in November.
Several notable Republican figures also want the former president to lose to Kamala Harris but aren’t saying so publicly, according to Politico. Some GOP lawmakers see the possibility of a new Trump term as bad news for the party, the outlet reports.
Among those concerned are proponents of free market economic policies who are concerned by Trump’s proposed import tariffs, while abortion rights opponents are also skeptical of his inconsistent messaging on that issue, according to Politico.
They’re also reportedly concerned that Trump winning in 2024 could hurt the GOP’s electoral chances in the future.
“There’s a lot of anxiety about what Trump does to Republican ability to win in 2028—and what he also may do to the party in terms of policy long term,” one anonymous conservative leader told Politico. “There is just this concern that like, ‘OK, if the party just goes in that direction, then what kind of party is it going forward? And can conservatives, then, have a home going forward?’”
The outlet also claims concerned Republicans hope Trump’s loss is by a wide margin in order to help stifle any attempts to cast doubt on the legitimacy of his hypothetical defeat.
In a separate column, Politico’s columnist Jonathan Martin claimed the best outcome for the future of the Republican Party is for Trump to “lose soundly” in November.
“For most Republicans who’ve not converted to the Church of MAGA, this scenario is barely even provocative,” Martin writes. “In fact, asking around with Republicans last week, the most fervent private debate I came across in the party was how best to accelerate Trump’s exit to the 19th Hole.”
In a statement, Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes told the outlet that Trump has “unified the GOP like never before” and “expanded his coalition of support across partisan lines to Democrats and Independents.”
“Our campaign and down-ballot Republicans are poised for a great result in November, despite a few hand-wringing, anonymous sources who are not bold enough to attach their names to this drivel,” Hughes added.
