South Carolina Rep Tom Rice
Rices vote for impeachment stunned those familiar with the South Carolina lawmakers record as a staunch Trump defender, especially during his first impeachment.
I have backed this President through thick and thin for four years. I campaigned for him and voted for him twice, Rice said in a statement Wednesday evening. But, this utter failure is inexcusable.
Rice voted for motions to object to certifying Bidens Electoral College victories in Arizona and Pennsylvania last week, votes that came after security teams cleared the building of rioters and members returned from a secure location. Rice told local media he waited until the last minute to cast those votes because he was extremely disappointed in the president after the riots and that Trump needed to concede the election. He also said last week that he did not support impeaching the president or invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.
Rice, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, has supported the Trump administrations position 94 percent of the time over the past four years. He represents a solidly Republican district in the Myrtle Beach area that Trump carried by 19 points in November. Rice, who has had little difficulty holding his seat since his first 2012 victory, won his race by 24 points in November.
Trump Breaks Silence With Cpac Speech
Most notably, these state and local parties launched a barrage of censures or other forms of condemnation not long after a violent pro-Trump mob inspired by the former presidents lie about a stolen election and egged on that day by Trump himself stormed the Capitol intent on disrupting Congress as it formalized President Joe Bidens win. Many of the efforts were aimed at the small number of Republicans who voted in favor of impeachment or conviction after House Democrats moved swiftly to impeach Trump on the charge of “incitement to insurrection.”
In Louisiana, the state GOP censured one of its U.S. senators, Bill Cassidy, moments after he voted to convict Trump. North Carolina’s state GOP passed a similar measure aimed at Sen. Richard Burr just days later.
In Illinois, Larry Smith, chair of the LaSalle County Republican Party and a leader in the effort to censure Rep. Adam Kinzinger after he voted to impeach Trump, told NBC News that local GOP leaders in his state are overwhelmingly still pro-Trump, and that the detractors amount to a splinter group by comparison.
I think they’re stunningly naive or have completely misread the tea leaves, he said of Republicans who believe they can leave Trump behind.
He pointed to comments from Kinzinger in The Atlantic in which the lawmaker expressed hope that the segment of the GOP base ready to move past Trump could grow to 35 or 45 percent by the midterm elections.
Former Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice
Enough! Donald Trump should not be President, the former Secretary of State said in a post following the surfacing of the 2005 audio. He should withdraw.
Rice did not elaborate on who she would vote for in November, but wrote, As a Republican, I hope to support someone who has the dignity and stature to run for the highest office in the greatest democracy on earth.
Schwarzenegger released a statement on Saturday announcing that he will not be voting for Trump.
For the first time since I became a citizen in 1983, I will not vote for the Republican candidate for President, the Austrian-born actor shared via Twitter. Like many Americans, Ive been conflicted by this election I still havent made up my mind about how exactly I will vote next month.
Former Gop Presidential Candidate Carly Fiorina
Fiorina said in June she would be voting for Biden instead of Trump in November.
“Ive been very clear that I cant support Donald Trump. And, you know, elections are binary choices,” Fiorina, who voted for Trump in 2016, told The Atlantic. When pressed whether she would vote for Biden, Fiorina replied, “Im not voting for Trump, but its a binary choice. So if faced with a binary choice on a ballot: yes.”
“I think this moment calls upon Joe Biden to be a leader. I am encouraged that Joe Biden is a person of humility and empathy and character. I think hes demonstrated that through his life,” she said.
Academics Journalists Authors Commentators
- Reuel Marc Gerecht, writer
- Michael Gerson, columnist and speechwriter for George W. Bush
- Peter Mansoor, military historian
- Meghan McCain, commentator, daughter of Senator John McCain
- Charles Murray, political scientist and commentator
- Ana Navarro, strategist and commentator
- Tom Nichols, national security affairs scholar
- Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape; founder of Andreessen Horowitz
- Mike Fernandez, founder of MBF Healthcare Partners
- James Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International
- William Oberndorf, Chairman of Oberndorf Enterprises
Republican Voters Not Sure If They Want Trump To Run Again
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa Republicans in this Midwestern battleground fiercely miss having Donald Trump in the White House, but, when asked if they want the former president to seek reelection a second time, in 2024, hesitation abounds.
Thats a good question, said Jose Laracuent, 59, who lives in suburban Des Moines. He set the bar in many ways, and I think theres other politicians who can build on what hes already built. Laracuents wife, Shelley, was more decisive. Id like to see another generation. Both spoke with the Washington Examiner while attending the annual Lincoln Dinner fundraising gala for the Iowa Republican Party, headlined by potential 2024 contender Nikki Haley, a former United Nations ambassador.
Publicly, Trump is undecided on a third presidential bid, although he regularly alludes to another campaign. Privately, the former president is telling confidants he plans to run, and this month began hitting the road again for his signature rallies and pre-rally festivals. Trump remains extraordinarily popular with grassroots Republicans. Yet, there are signs even these loyal voters might want fresh leadership in 2024, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis topping Trump in a recent straw poll.
If he runs, Graber added, I think hell be tough to beat in Iowa.
Washington Examiner Videos
List Of Republicans Who Opposed The Donald Trump 2020 Presidential Campaign
| This article is part of a series about |
This is a list of Republicans and conservatives who opposed the re-election of incumbent Donald Trump, the 2020 Republican Party nominee for President of the United States. Among them are former Republicans who left the party in 2016 or later due to their opposition to Trump, those who held office as a Republican, Republicans who endorsed a different candidate, and Republican presidential primary election candidates that announced opposition to Trump as the presumptive nominee. Over 70 former senior Republican national security officials and 61 additional senior officials have also signed onto a statement declaring, “We are profoundly concerned about our nation’s security and standing in the world under the leadership of Donald Trump. The President has demonstrated that he is dangerously unfit to serve another term.”
A group of former senior U.S. government officials and conservativesincluding from the Reagan, Bush 41, Bush 43, and Trump administrations have formed The Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform to, “focus on a return to principles-based governing in the post-Trump era.”
A third group of Republicans, Republican Voters Against Trump was launched in May 2020 has collected over 500 testimonials opposing Donald Trump.
One Voted Last Week Against Certifying Electoral College Results
Ten Republicans voted Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump, exactly one week after a violent attack on the Capitol by the presidents supporters.
The Democrat-led House voted 232-197 to approve one article of impeachment against Trump, charging the president with incitement of insurrection.
The GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach the president from their own party included Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House. Cheneys vote has prompted House Republicans to call on her to step down as conference chairwoman.
While many in the group have a history of breaking with their party, the yes votes included several with a strong record of supporting Trump and one, South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice, who voted last week against certifying President-elect Joe Bidens Electoral College victory in two states.
Most Republicans in the House opposed impeachment, with many arguing the hurried process would further divide the country. But for these 10 Republicans who supported impeachment, the fact that Trump incited the riot at the Capitol was indisputable.
Four Republicans did not vote on impeachment, including Texas Rep. Kay Granger, who recently tested positive for COVID-19. The others were Reps. Andy Harris of Maryland, Greg Murphy of North Carolina and Daniel Webster of Florida.
Here are the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump:
Loyalty To Trump Vs Trumpism
The battle for Trumps endorsement in the Ohio race to replace GOP Sen. Rob Portman, meanwhile, asks whether personal loyalty to Trump or a record of support for his nationalist policies matters more to both the president himself and to voters.
J.D. Vance, the venture capitalist-turned-author of Hillbilly Elegy, is considered all-but-certain to announce a run for the GOP nomination. But he is already on the receiving end of an anonymous text-message campaign informing Republican voters in Ohio about Vances numerous disparaging comments about Trump during the 2016 race, including a time he called Trump an idiot.
During the 2016 race, Vance also said he couldnt stomach Trump, that Trump was unfit for the presidency, and that his policy proposals ranged from immoral to absurd.
An ally of Vances noted to HuffPost, however, that many Republicans did not support Trump in 2016. The Vance confidante, who asked for anonymity for professional reasons, said that Vances support for reshoring American manufacturing, tougher immigration enforcement and cracking down on the power of Big Tech show his commitment to Trumps ideas.
When Timken sought Trumps endorsement for her Senate bid, however, Trump reportedly backed off plans to endorse her after close advisers urged him to wait longer before settling on a favored candidate.
A few days later, Timken resigned as party chair ahead of her Senate run. And a few weeks later, as a Senate candidate, she for Gonzalez to resign.
Republican Officials Calling For Trumps Removal
Below are the few Republicans currently in office who have so far demanded Trumps resignation or removal from office.
Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey
Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican whos retiring in 2022, became the second GOP senator to say Trump should step down. The best way for our country is for the president to resign and go away as soon as possible, he told Meet the Press on Sunday.
Toomey also said in an interview with Fox News this weekend that he believed the president had committed impeachable offenses, though he hesitated on whether impeachment proceedings and removing him from office was the best course. I dont know whats going to land on the Senate floor, if anything, he said.
Sen. Pat Toomey : I do think the president committed impeachable offenses. But I don’t know what is gonna land on the Senate floor, if anything.
The Recount January 9, 2021
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski became the first Republican senator to demand that Trump leave office. She did not mention impeachment or other methods of removal, but she was unequivocal in her censure of the president.
I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage, Murkowski told the Anchorage Daily News in a Friday interview.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott
Vermonts Republican governor, who was just sworn in for his third term, was among the first prominent Republicans to demand Trump resign or be removed from office by his Cabinet, or by Congress.
Republicans Voting For Mrs Clinton
- Richard Armitage, former deputy secretary of state
- Ex-President George HW Bush
- Richard Hanna, New York congressman
- Hank Paulson, former treasury secretary
- Brent Scowcroft, former national security adviser
- Chris Shays, former Connecticut congressman
- Meg Whitman, prominent Republican donor; CEO of Hewlett Packard
- William Bennett, former secretary of education
Former Ohio Gov John Kasich
Kasich, who ran against Trump in the 2016 Republican primaries, headlined the opening night at the DNC.
Kasich has long been critical of Trump and started his remarks by standing at the intersection of two gravel roads, noting the country was at a crossroads.
“Sometimes elections represent a real choice, the choice we make as individuals and as a nation about which path we want to take when we’ve come to challenging times,” he said. “America is at that crossroads today.”
He noted that he was a proud Republican and has disagreements with some of Biden’s policies, but those differences were part of the fabric of America’s political system.
More:John Kasich’s DNC speech was filmed at a crossroads near his Ohio home
Miles Taylor Former Senior Trump Administration Official
Taylor is one of the highest-ranking former officials from the Trump administration to back Biden.
Taylor, who served as chief of staff to former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen until he left in 2019, was featured in a video produced by the Republican Voters Against Trump, saying what he saw from Trump “was terrifying.”
More:Former senior Trump administration official endorses Joe Biden
In the video, Taylor stated, “Given what I have experienced in the administration, I have to support Joe Biden for president. And even though I am not a Democrat, even though I disagree on key issues, I’m confident that Joe Biden will protect the country and I’m confident that he won’t make the same mistakes as this President.”
The Latest Sign Of Donald Trump’s Hold On The Gop
Analysis by Lauren Dezenski, CNN
A vast majority of Republicans are still all in on former President Donald Trump — and a new CBS/YouGov poll reveals just how deep the obsession within the party goes.
- 89% want a Trumpian take on economic issues.
- 88% want to follow Trump’s example on immigration issues.
- 77% prefer Trump’s model for how to treat the media.
The Point: Bad news for those searching for signs of a non-Trump path within the Republican Party. Right now, the vast majority of GOP members are still very big on the former President — and not much else.
Former Secretary Of State Colin Powell
Powell, former secretary of state to President W. Bush spoke at the second night of the DNC, saying Biden “will be a president we will all be proud to salute.”
“With Joe Biden in the White House, you will never doubt that he will stand with our friends and stand up to our adversaries never the other way around,” Powell said. “He will trust our diplomats and our intelligence community, not the flattery of dictators and despots.”
Powell has been an outspoken critic of Trump, calling him “dangerous for our democracy” in June.
Other Republicans Who Will Not Vote For Him
- Robert Bentley, Alabama governor
- Jeb Bush, former Florida governor and candidate for the 2016 nomination
- William Cohen, former secretary of defence
- Dennis Daugaard, South Dakota governor
- Carly Fiorina, former candidate for the 2016 nomination
- Darryl Glenn, from Colorado, running for the Senate
- Kim Guadagno, lieutenant governor of New Jersey
- Michael Hayden, former CIA director, former NSA director
- Gary Herbert, Utah governor
- Jon Huntsman, former Utah governor
- John Kasich, Ohio governor, 2016 presidential candidate
- Susana Martinez, New Mexico governor
- George E Pataki, former New York governor
- Tim Pawlenty, former Minnesota governor
- Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state
- Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania governor; former Homeland Security secretary
- Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, 2012 presidential nominee
- Brian Sandoval, Nevada governor
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, former California governor
Ignore The Hype Of Republicans Threatening To Break Away Over Trump
Anti-Trump Republicans get lots of media attention. That doesnt mean they are relevant within the Republican party
Over 100 Republicans, including former officials, threaten to split from the Republican party, the New York Times declared on Tuesday. The next day the Washington Post upped the ante, headlining that the 100 Republicans were vowing civil war; the columnist Jennifer Rubin proclaimed the beginning of the stampede away from the GOP.
Sounds exciting, but what has really happened?
On Thursday, a group of some 150 former Republicans published A Call for American Renewal, a manifesto with the stated aim of building a common sense coalition for America. The call itself reads mostly like the US constitution but with a distinct anti-Trump undertone. While the former president is never named, the manifesto warns against forces of conspiracy, division, and despotism, opposes the employment of fear-mongering, conspiracism, and falsehoods, and rejects populism and illiberalism. It emphasizes the importance of the constitutional order, rule of law, and pluralism, while implicitly supporting immigration and explicitly celebrating our diverse nation. So far, so good; but is this anodyne statement worth all the hype?
Active office-holders, with power and relevance, are conspicuously absent from the signatories
This is the Republican party of an imagined past, harkening to a moderate, noble era that never really existed
Arizona Senator John Mccain
McCain, who ran as the partys presidential candidate in 2008, announced he would not be voting Republican and would write in a candidate through a statement on Saturday.
I have wanted to support the candidate our party nominated, he said in a statement. He was not my choice, but as a past nominee, I thought it was important I respect the fact that Donald Trump won a majority of the delegates by the rules our party set. I thought I owed his supporters that deference.
But Donald Trumps behavior this week, concluding with the disclosure of his demeaning comments about women and his boasts about sexual assaults, make it impossible to continue to offer even conditional support for his candidacy.
McCains daughter, Meghan, previously told PEOPLE she shed tears when Trump clinched the GOP nomination for president at the Republican convention. She also said she would be writing in a candidate and voting for her father.
Republicans Are Overwhelmingly Sticking With Trump Yet Again
Days before his second impeachment trial, Trumps influence over the Republican Party remains as entrenched as ever.
- Anna Jacobs is a Doha-based researcher on US politics and foreign policy.
On January 13, Donald Trump became the first president in US history to be impeached twice. Ten Republican members of Congress, including the third-most powerful Republican in the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming, broke rank and voted with the Democrats to charge the president with inciting violence against the government of the United States.
This took place exactly one week after Trump supporters organised a violent insurrection to take over the US Capitol Building and block the certification of Bidens Electoral College win, an effort that was supported politically by Republican members of Congress and senators who voted against certifying the electoral college win.
The FBI is also currently investigating the role that some Republican members of Congress may have played in aiding and abetting the January 6 insurrection, which led to five deaths and multiple injuries.
The final vote tally in favour of impeachment was 232 to 197. Every single Democrat in the chamber voted for impeachment, along with 10 Republicans. 197 Republicans voted against the measure, a testament to the now-former presidents continued popularity within the Republican Party.
New Poll Shows Republican Support For Donald Trump Is Plummeting
Donald Trump wields an enormous amount of power over the Republican party. The power doesnt stem from his ability as a politician or his oration abilities. The GOP cedes power to Donald Trump because his supporters are incredibly fervent.
The actions of many Republican lawmakers following the November election showed just how scared they were of encountering Trumps wrath. The ice began to thaw, though, when the 45th president lost his ability to use Twitter.
And following the January insurrection, support for Trump among Republicans is plummeting. A recent survey conducted by Echelon Insights showed that Trumps popularity from GOP voters has dropped by 20% since December.
In the survey, 45% of Republicans said they would like to see Trump be the candidate for their party in 2024. Just two months ago, this number stood at 65%.
While 21% of voters wanted Trump to be convicted and impeached, 30% of Republicans want to see him banned from ever holding office again.
And while Trump would certainly like to run for president again in 2024, his path to the Republican nomination might not be so easy.
I Was Doing My Job: Capitol Officer Defends Shooting Ashli Babbitt During Riot
Former President Donald Trump ripped the Senates $1 trillion infrastructure package Saturday as a disgrace, warning that he was prepared to withhold his support for any Republican that was on board with it.
Joe Bidens infrastructure bill will be used against the Republican Party in the upcoming elections in 2022 and 2024. It will be very hard for me to endorse anyone foolish enough to vote in favor of this deal,Trump warned, taking aim at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on his negotiating prowess.
If Mitch McConnell was smart, which weve seen no evidence of, he would use the debt ceiling card to negotiate a good infrastructure package, Trump hissed.
Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer is pushing to pass the package on Saturday, fulfilling one of President Bidens signature campaign promises.
The fiery statement came just hours before the Senate voted to invoke cloture and advance the legislation on Saturday, bringing the bill one step closer towards final passage.
The Minority Leader appears to have brushed aside Trumps rebuke, voting with 17 other Republicans to break a GOP filibuster aimed at blocking the bill.
It is not the end, but it takes us closer to the end, said Sen. Tom Carper after the cloture vote.
Which Republicans Have Deserted Donald Trump
A tape recording of Donald Trump making disparaging remarks about women has sparked howls of condemnation from Republican colleagues. More than 30 senior politicians have said they can no longer back him.
Here’s a list of some of the leading Republicans who have deserted him since the tapes were revealed.
But it’s not the first time Mr Trump has lost support from colleagues. Republicans have been deserting him for months over various scandals.
So who is on the “Never Trump” list and who’s still on Mr Trump’s side?
Republican Voters Back Trump But Not Lockstep Behind 2024 Bid
Republican voters hold former President Donald Trump in high esteem and tend to agree with his dubious claims about the 2020 election, but those sentiments are not translating into overwhelming support for a third White House bid.
Republican pollsters studying post-election surveys are settling on two seemingly contradictory conclusions they say are compatible. Republican voters prefer Trumps brand of conservative populism, what pollsters are calling Trumpism, over the traditional Republicanism of the preceding era; the former presidents agenda benefited their bottom line. But a growing segment of these same voters, frustrated by the perpetual chaos of the Trump presidency, would prefer a conventional, disciplined politician represent the party in 2024.
His working-class populism has redefined the identity and agenda of the party, said Republican pollster Brock McCleary, who advised Trumps reelection campaign. There is merely a segment of Republicans who like Trump but are open to discussion about who can best defend and advance Trump populism in the years to come.
Both are true, veteran Republican pollster Frank Luntz said, regarding the mindset of this significant cohort of GOP voters.
