It has long been understood that Donald Trump is a controversial political figure, but up until recently his star power has outweighed the anchors of scandal that seem to surround him.
Now, however, with a number of legal and political fights in his not-so-distant future, Trump’s presence is growing a bit worrisome for the GOP, and some of their midterm candidates appear to be shying away from The Don.
Former President Donald Trump will not hold a rally in Georgia for Herschel Walker before next week’s runoff election against incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
Just how bad is it?
According to Michael Bender of the New York Times, Trump will avoid the state after his team agreed with Georgia Republicans the former president might not only motivate Democrats to get out and vote but could also end up suppressing turnout among moderate Republicans:
“”The decision to keep Mr. Trump out of the spotlight was a response largely to the former president’s political style and image, which can energize his core supporters but also motivate Democratic voters and turn off significant segments of moderate Republicans.
In Georgia, that political math has become a net deficit for Mr. Trump, who opened his 2024 presidential campaign two weeks ago. In 2020, he was the first Republican presidential candidate to lose the state in 28 years. Earlier this year, his handpicked primary challengers to Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger were both trounced.”
Trump has already announced his 2024 campaign, doing so rather early, hoping to freeze out other potential GOP competition.
