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© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Republicans beginning to worry about Trump re-election
By JONATHAN LEMIRE, ALAN FRAM and ELANA SCHOR WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
71 Comments
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smithinjapan
Hahaha... the clock's ticking... and fast. The panic has hit full swing.
Cricky
So funny, really this man as President wouldn't want him cleaning my house.
Deadforgood
To be honest, the GOP would be much better off picking an alternative to Trump to run in the next election, regardless of the outcome of Mueller's investigation.
Alex Einz
He better get rid of them prosecutors.
Strangerland
I wonder. If they switch to someone else, I don't see them being able to win, as Trumpets seem to hate the Republicans, and I don't see them voting for anyone the GOP picked alternatively. If they stick with Trump, they'll get the votes of the Trumpets.
plasticmonkey
I can't stand Trump, but I'd be careful about writing off his chances of being reelected. That leads to apathy among Democrats, as it did in 2016.
Democrats also need to get their mojo working and pick somebody who has a strong message that resonates with people who are fed up with getting screwed by corporate America and PACs and behind-the-scenes operatives. Campaign finance reform should be the centerpiece of a Democratic platform. Nothing will change unless the Kochs and the Mercers and the Adelsons are put in their proper place. Election reform must be another focus; gerrymandering should have no place in America. Both of these ideas have broad public support, but the GOP is generally against both of them because outsized corporate influence, gerrymandering, and voter suppression are the only ways they can gain the presidency and a majority in Congress.
jcapan
Yes and no. True, many would sit the election out, especially if they perceived the party pushed him aside. But you have to remember how many alienated GOP voters sat things out or crossed party lines in 2016. Some of them in my own family. I know several lifelong republicans, mostly women, who would still vote for a Romney or a McCain (i.e. someone with generally the same destructive policies but "Gosh they don't use that nasty language").
I could do without terms like Trumpets though. Some of these people voted for Obama (roughly 10 percent). Some of them might respond to a candidate like Sanders or Warren, who want to move the Democratic Party back to its roots, which would eat into his midwest/rustbelt support. Trump's most vocal defenders are not representative of 60 million voters. Many of them can be won back. I'm sure this is harder to fathom if your oly regular only contact with Americans or republicans is online.
Thomas Bickel
Sure hope he's reelected. Four more years!
Bintaro
Shouldn't they be worrying about him finishing his 4 years ?
ifd66
Worrying? - They should be rejoicing at the prospect. The only chance they have to get some integrety.
Laguna
The Mueller report will hit like a tsunami, with indictments possibly reaching the Trump family (Don Jr, Kushner). And tbe Trump team is totally unprepared. They are under lawyered and their Chief of Staff is up in the air.
Trump clearly has no concept of the hammer about to fall on him. This will be a bloodbath.
bass4funk
So here we go and once again the liberal AP spreading that garbage again. Funny how JT always like to use a lot of liberal sites, but hey...
Trump, his cabinet and supporters know exactly what the Democrats are trying to do, it’s a very old timed trick, get his number down as much as they can because if they can bring his popularity with Republicans down to under 30% (good luck) then it would make it harder for him to win re-election provided the Democrats can find a new anointed savior and so far from the hundreds of liberal-bots running around, there is no one on the horizon that can beat him and to this day the Democrats still haven’t told us what their message going forward is. Impose regulations, raise the tax code, punish the working class...again. If they keep it up, it won’t matter what trick they pull out of their socialist hat, they will lose again. You can’t just govern on hate, you do need policies that work, if they can put their focus into that, but we know these people just can’t help themselves, it’s all about identity politics and income redistribution.
jcapan
As the saying goes, reality has a well-known liberal bias.
Attilathehungry
Let's see, Trump payed off a couple of "women of ill repute" to shut up so that they didn't ruin his life or what was left of his tattered reputation. I don't think there is any evidence that he used campaign contributions to do so- he used his personal funds. Where is the illegality?
As for re-election, the Democrats don't have many viable candidates thanks to the malign presence of the Clintons on the scene for the past 20 years. Either old white people (Biden, Warren, etc) or young and inexperienced lefties (AOC, Beto). They need someone with a bit of intellectual heft and gravitas to try and raise politics up from the mire. Perhaps Mitt Romney would be interested in switching parties?
Ah_so
He paid them off so as not to damage his chances of winning the Presidential election. This is a different matter. Given the narrowness of the election, it may have been decisive.
But hey, this is nothing compared to the storm that would have arisen if he had gone ahead with the Moscow tower and actually paid a $50m bribe of Putin.
Attilathehungry
Nothing illegal about a real estate guy building a tower in a foreign country. How do you see a bribe to Putin? Giving him the penthouse apartment in the building is just the cost of doing business in a third world country. Plus it makes sense from an added value perspective- having Putin as a tenant makes all the other units more valuable.
If he did the deal after being elected, different story. But as a private citizen, so what?
Jimizo
Mitt Romney has intellectual heft and gravitas?
nishikat
What if the Trump children are arrested?
lincolnman
Liberal = any media outlet except Faux, Brietbart, Info Wars or Russia Today...
Says the guy who visits this supposedly liberal site and posts every day....
Protect our democracy...
It will be harder form him to win re-election because he'll be impeached before then...
Anyone can beat him if he's in jail...
We won't collude with Russians...
To save our environment for our children...and their children...
On the Top 1%..
By giving them affordable health care...and saving social security and medicare...
If Democrats are socialists, Republicans are fascists...
Charlottesville white supremacist Trump supporter convicted of murder...
Like Mexico paying for the wall...
????
It's about honesty, decency, and protecting our democracy from Russian influence...
Attilathehungry
Jimizo; everything is relative.... compared to the Democrats' potential candidates, I would say that he does. Not to mention that he is morally unimpeachable.
Madverts
Enter scary Nikki Haley and Creepy Ted Cruz stage left for an inside Insane Party challenge.
It's going to be fun to watch our Trump fundies implode...
Insane Wayne
HA !!! What a JOKE !!
The Republicans have done more to stop the Trump agenda than the Democrats. The Democrats haven't done anything to stop him. Without the Turtle and Ryan they would have been helpless. I don't understand why the 2 brands aren't combined into 1 party. Outside of a handful of vocal Republicans the Republican party has the same agenda as the Democrats.
The Republican party will destroy Trump. The Democrats are leaderless and have no members with any experience or appeal. The Dems have leadership that is in their late 70s and 80s they cant even agree on anything other than to hate Trump.
Most Democrats would be better off switching to Republican because they support the same social issues, but understand that SOME people need jobs.
Jimizo
You mentioned Elizabeth Warren. Whatever your opinion of her honesty, it is indisputable that she is very intelligent.
I don’t see Romney towering above her intellectually. Do you?
smithinjapan
bass4funk: "So here we go and once again the liberal AP spreading that garbage again. Funny how JT always like to use a lot of liberal sites, but hey..."
Just because it's not ultra-right garbage like FOX or The National Review doesn't make it "liberal". But hey, you guys call Mueller an "angry Democrat", so it's not like logic is your strong suit.
bass4funk
RT? Lol Any liberal media outlet? Well, the country is doomed flat out.
Because it’s the sites that only liberals will believe in since they don’t believe in ANY conservative site.
Doubt it, it didn’t work on Clinton, so the chances of that happening are probably 00.01%
But if they think Stormy is their meal ticket, then Trump should be popping the balloons right now at this point.
Well, thank god that won’t happen. And since the Southern District is part of the DOJ, it states they cannot indict a sitting president
It’s so far from the evidence it would seem neither has he.
bass4funk
Yes, she’s so intelligent that she completely destroyed any chance are any hope of being a runny contender for the Democrat party. You have to at least be honest with yourself, that fake Native American DNA debacle just completely ruined her.
If Warren can do even close to a third of what Romney has accomplished, then I would consider her somewhat pretty smart.
Yes, it does and FNC or the National Review aren’t even close to ultra-conservative in FNC case, if it were Geraldo, Juan Williams and Shep Smith just to name a few would never be allowed anywhere near the studio.
Serrano
I'll be among the voters giving Trump and Pence a landslide victory in 2020.
Insane Wayne
The only victory Trump has is a tax cut. the Republicans passed a TEMPORARY tax cut. They are not his allies and they don't care any more about the American people than the Democrats do. Republicans are as much for open boarders as the Dems.
The media makes money from casting the Republicans as being different than Democrats. The media has created a very profitable lie.
BlackFlagCitizen
Re-election? Republicans better start worrying about their own party's future. People are finally waking up to their party over country, corporate donors over the people scam
Miyam_Musashi
The Dems are far more worried about who's going to face Trump in 2020 and Pence in 2024, with their aging and polarizing leadership, rigged primaries, and internal struggle between socialists and the typical identity-based caucuses that dominate the Democratic Party.
bones
Why are they beginning to worry now!?? I thought that trumps was “very pleased “ with what mueller released and that it proved that “there’s no collusion, none whatsoever “??
are they worried that they might lose their dignity?
Well they would have to possess DIGNITY in the first place so they have nothing to worry about.
lincolnman
Agree, the marriage of far-right media with Russian state-sponsored propaganda outlets is a major threat to our democracy...
You visit this site, because its the only site liberals will believe - equals you are a liberal.. Welcome brother - I would have never thunk it
With Mueller's court document release, the chances went from 50-50, to 80-20...
Stormy was Trump's ticket, I'll let you come up with the adjective. Cohen, Flynn, Manafort, Weisselberg, and all their documents, hard drives, tapes, etc., is what will bring Trump down... along with maybe Jared and Don Jr when they get brought in under oath and try to save their skins...
Impeached - prosecuted - convicted - jail....
16 campaign officials meeting with Russians (to date), then most lying about it under oath...
SuperLib
It’s always going to be a challenge since Democrats will always need many more votes to overcome voter suppression and gerrymandering set up by the GOP. And as we are seeing in North Carolina, Michigan, and a Wisconsin, they have no problems changing the rules to rig the system in their favor. None whatsoever.
I think the biggest hit on Trump during his re-election bid will be his lack of accomplishments. He made a lot of promises in 2016 and could run on the same platform since he accomplished none of them. Is he going to say he needs 4 more years for...a wall?
The biggest thing he has going for him is the economy, and that is slowing down. It will be interesting to see where we are at in 2020. He will have to answer for exploding deficits, a flat stock market, and a potential recession.
The other good news for Trump is he will always have his 30%, the uneducated, angry white males along with the racists who are firmly entrenched in the GOP. Trump could wipe his mouth with the Constitution and they would still vote for him. They are the left-behinds, the losers who don’t mind blowing up the system because the system wasn’t doing much for them anyway.
So, it will be interesting. Let’s see which Democrats step up to the plate.
1glenn
The country and the world would be better off with him out of the White House.
Jimizo
Bass, you know how bad you are at predictions when it comes to politics.
I’m seriously thinking about a bet on Warren running now. I would have cleaned up backing against your predictions.
Romney is a rich kid who made some more cash. Doesn’t impress me that much. Obama schlonged him and another rich kid, Rump, went bananas on Twitter after hearing some fake news that Romney won the popular vote. The birther didn’t like the idea of the Electoral College at that point.
So, no. Romney isn’t that impressive.
Simon Foston
SerranoToday 07:52 pm JST
That notion is just as fantastical as the idea of Trump being impeached by this time next year. I can see him possibly eking out another dubious Electoral College victory if the Democrats really can't produce a better candidate than Hillary Clinton, but a landslide victory... ? It's little wonder no one takes you seriously.
lincolnmanToday 08:54 pm JST
That's what he meant? I couldn't make any sense of it whatsoever.
bass4funk
...but the little green wheels are following me, oh no, not again....
Pretty much.
More like 99.999% of Not probability.
The retired porn Star is irrelevant as well as the creepy abusive porn lawyer
After 2024 who knows, but is it possible? Sure.
Concerned Citizen
Democrats are shooting themselves in the foot by just Trump bashing all the time. It didn't work in 2016 and probably won't in 2020. The more they hate on him and his base the more he counter punches and his base gets excited and motivated to vote for him.
In order to have a shot at winning in 2020 Democrats ought to quit the hate campaign against Trump, middle America, men and whites and offer the public a positivite campaign based on workable economic policies that benefit the working person. I hope they do.
bass4funk
Actually they weren’t overall speaking.
You go and do that, she has just as much of a chance getting remotely close to a nomination as Anthony Wiener would. ROFL!
Which is great! Nothing wrong with having money or making it, which is really fun.
But didn’t get much done in his Presidency, but now he can continue to be lazy for doing nothing writing books and rake in that cash, so at least he’s got that.
I beg to differ, he accomplished a lot.
Jimizo
@Bass
Are you predicting a Trump victory in 2020?
Serrano
"The country and the world would be better off with him out of the White House."
I dunno, the country is already way better off than 2 years ago, ISIS has been decimated, chances of war with N.Korea are lower, inter-Korean relations are improving...
@Jimizo Are you predicting a Democrat victory in 2020?
bass4funk
As of now, I will say a resounding yes. Now could their be an anointed Messiah waiting in the socialist wings? Could be, but that savior that will bring misery....I mean income distribution prosperity is still very far off
Maybe Ocascio-Cortez...hmmmm....
And the Dems do it by illegal voters, dead people, circumventing votes, get off it, both sides will do what they can to get votes, let’s be brutally and painfully honest, just for a moment for once, don’t give me this garbage that liberals play by the rules, they don’t, they can’t and they won’t, in States like California where people can’t leave fast enough, liberals have to replace these voters if they want to maintain a majority and the ONLY way they can do that is, by letting in as many illegals as possible and quickly registering them ASAP.
No, he has a lot, over 73 and counting, but we...well a lot of people won’t know because the media forgot their job of reporting news and become a defacto mouth-side mic piece for the Democrat party.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/media-blackout-trumps-60-point-accomplishment-list-of-american-greatness
And that is everything, something Democrats are not really good at, but taking other people’s money, they are THE pros like No other.
As long as the unemployment continues to go this trend, stay low, employ a lot of minorities which is always helpful (Blexit) if this keeps up as an incumbent, he’ll sale easily into a second term. One thing business like is a friendly low tax business environment which is crucial for the ever changing development of the US, it’s attractive domestically and more importantly internationally.
And the Democrats alternative is.....
Here we go with that myth again..lol
https://amgreatness.com/2018/09/14/why-black-voters-are-turning-to-trump/
None from this keystone clown bunch.
Jimizo
Too early to tell. I did put money on Trump not completing a full term. Do you have any links to hairy, disheveled nutters in basements on that topic?
The odds on Trump not surviving a full term have shortened dramatically.
bass4funk
I put my term that Ocasio-Cortez won’t finish hers.
SuperLib
C'mon, Nishi. Working class voters have "decreased tensions with North Korea" as #1 on their list of concerns. Slam dunk for Trump, even if it's not true.
theFu
Anyone near the center is better than Trump.
Too far left and too far right will leave the middle people to flip a coin.
Elections are about the middle voters shifting a little left or right. The party that provides anyone with centrist views will win.
smithinjapan
bass4funk: "Trump, his cabinet and supporters know exactly what the Democrats are trying to do, it’s a very old timed trick, get his number down as much as they can because if they can bring his popularity with Republicans down to under 30% (good luck) then it would make it harder for him to win re-election provided the Democrats can find a new anointed savior and so far from the hundreds of liberal-bots running around, there is no one on the horizon that can beat him and to this day the Democrats still haven’t told us what their message going forward is."
Obviously you DON'T know what the Dems -- and Republicans like Mueller -- are doing because you're writing 200 word sentences and doing cartwheels to avoid the facts and spin your own alternative ones. Trump's bringing his own popularity down as more and more suckers realize they were duped into believing in him, his tax cuts are costing them and the nation while he and his cronies get rich, and how much of an insecure child. He can't go out in the rain to support the fallen Americans in WWII, cries because Bush Sr.'s funeral wasn't about him, and some are finally realizing that defending a wannabe dictator really means you are a traitor and that you are betraying your country, not defending it. You will too, some day. Same way you went from calling the man a lunatic to a 180 in a day and bending over backwards for him, you'll once again go 180 and claim you never supported him, that he is crazy, etc. I mean... it'll be easier than admitting you were fooled.
smithinjapan
bass4funk: "You go and do that, she has just as much of a chance getting remotely close to a nomination as Anthony Wiener would. ROFL!"
Ah, the nervous "LOLs", exaggerated into an ROFL this time. You guys really are petrified.
Jimizo
You are backing off. You didn’t include ‘as of now’ previously.
That tells me you think something could change. What do you think it could be? It can’t be the ‘witch hunt’ which you dismiss. I’d say it could be the economy tanking but you said Trump is Einsteinian when it comes to his knowledge of economics. It can’t be a strong Democratic challenger because you say there aren’t any.
What could change?
wtfjapan
Plus it makes sense from an added value perspective- having Putin as a tenant makes all the other units more valuable.
oh you conveniently forgot Rutin is the president of Russia an exKGB agent and America main political and military rival for the last 60yrs
CrazyJoe
Meanwhile, he's going to try his best to burn the country to the ground and make as much money as he can.
bass4funk
No, actually I do. As to what Mueller has or doesn’t have, we don’t know, but one thing is for sure, he doesn’t have a solid case other than perhaps a weak campaign violation charge and if that’s it, Trump is as good as gold.
Not with the Republicans and not with his base.
Great, show me 10 poor scrubs that can provide job opportunities to the masses and I’ll give you an apology. Personally, I never got a job from a poor person.
No, I’m not an idiot.
back when I was in high school dumb and young, I was a liberal and boy did i learn my lesson, but you’re right, I was fooled, big time.
bass4funk
I have nothing to be nervous about, I just think liberals area crack up.
I don’t back up, clinch or flinch.
Anything is possible, Don Lemon could say something smart and reasonable for once in his life.
As of now, there are none.
The Dems trying to leave their socialist roots?
ReturningGrace
The happiest person to see Trump go would be Mr. Putin. Trump is harder to deal with because he's unpredictable and he took all the attention away from Mr. Putin.
SuperLib
Of course you don't "know that for sure."
bass4funk
And neither do you.
extanker
@plasticmonkey
The only smart thing said here. Nobody thought he'd win the first time and the Democrats seem to be gearing up to field the same candidates that landed Trump in the White House in the first place. All of you thinking Trump's time is up better hope that the Dems have an ace up their sleeve.
SuperLib
You are the one who made the claim that you knew what he had.
Has the conversation devolved to the point where you've forgotten the entire conversation between the first and second responses?
mukashiyokatta
What re-election? He is about to depart the White House -- whether by choice or by force!
canadianbento
Unfortunate things happen in this Wonderful World! Why and how did Mr. Trump get elected?
extanker
You really believe that? Because I don't. Scandal has a habit of rolling right off of Trump like he's made of teflon.
Any other candidate would have dropped out of the race after the stuff that came out about him during the election and not only did he stay in the running, he got elected.
Write Trump off at your own peril. Until he is actually out, I am not ignoring his chances.
Chip Star
It looks like republicans are starting to worry about more than just Trump getting re-elected:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/44-former-senators-warn-current-095417127.html
serendipitous1
Trump should be in prison already.
blue in green
Another headline full of blarney...
But this has been the msm's goal since Trump was elected,
to make the voters change their minds...
bones
Well trump can always jump on a plane and return to RHUSSHUH!
I am sure they would love him there!
arrestpaul
Trump campaigned in Florida for the Republican. Obama campaigned in Florida for the Democrat. Trump's Republican won. But some Democrat, once again, has decided that Republicans must be against Trump. Sounds more like rumor mongering, than actual news.
What the Democrats have not yet done is have someone actually step up to unite all of the Democrat-leaning, hate-filled, TDS-suffering groups in their run against a sitting President. The Democrats can't pick their own candidate, but they seem to think they some influence over who the Republicans will pick. That must be why the Democrats have been repeatedly surprised by the election results since Trump became President. Republicans aren't listening to Democrats, and vice versa. Welcome to next two years of U.S. politics.
Slickdrifter
This Republican wants an alternate candidate. Period.
I am tired of the strife. I want both parties to mend and start to work together. And to hell with the wall!
Strangerland
Good on you for saying it out loud.
And yeah mending would be good. It will never happen with this current president though. Hopefully it can with the next.
Serrano
Madverts: "Enter scary Nikki Haley and Creepy Ted Cruz stage left for an inside Insane Party challenge."
Nikki is scary? Outspoken, yes. Cruz is creepy? Compared to Biden?
Guaranteed neither one will challenge Trump. Flake might give it a go though, lol.