The primary isn’t quite over, but now that Donald Trump is the sole Republican candidate left standing, GOP leaders are realizing they are in for a rude awakening.
In a sign that the GOP “establishment” has all but conceded to Trump, party chair Reince Priebus has been making the rounds on the morning talk show circuit, urging Republican voters to give up on the #NeverTrump movement and coalesce behind the New York billionaire.
However, as this ad from liberal PAC American Bridge points out, many loyal Republican voters aren’t as desperate for unity as their party leaders are. And they are conveying their disgust by burning their voter registration cards and abandoning the GOP en masse. Meanwhile, Captain Priebus is trying to keep calm while his ship sinks under constant bombardment from Democratic PACs whose war chests refill nearly every time Trump speaks.
To make matters worse for the GOP, the Trump-inspired mutiny isn’t just going to have otherwise-loyal Republicans staying home in November, but some moderates are considering jumping ship to join the Hillary Clinton campaign.
Even GOP big wigs are considering the ultimate betrayal – Mark Salter, speechwriter for John McCain, and Ben Howe, a respected conservative pundit, have already expressed support for Clinton via Twitter. Even political financier Charles Koch joked about supporting Clinton over Trump – but don’t hold your breath for that.
Either way, looks like rough seas ahead for the GOP.
In a sign that the GOP “establishment” has all but conceded to Trump, party chair Reince Priebus has been making the rounds on the morning talk show circuit, urging Republican voters to give up on the #NeverTrump movement and coalesce behind the New York billionaire.
However, as this ad from liberal PAC American Bridge points out, many loyal Republican voters aren’t as desperate for unity as their party leaders are. And they are conveying their disgust by burning their voter registration cards and abandoning the GOP en masse. Meanwhile, Captain Priebus is trying to keep calm while his ship sinks under constant bombardment from Democratic PACs whose war chests refill nearly every time Trump speaks.
To make matters worse for the GOP, the Trump-inspired mutiny isn’t just going to have otherwise-loyal Republicans staying home in November, but some moderates are considering jumping ship to join the Hillary Clinton campaign.
Even GOP big wigs are considering the ultimate betrayal – Mark Salter, speechwriter for John McCain, and Ben Howe, a respected conservative pundit, have already expressed support for Clinton via Twitter. Even political financier Charles Koch joked about supporting Clinton over Trump – but don’t hold your breath for that.
Either way, looks like rough seas ahead for the GOP.