The Trump campaign has signaled that it will go to the mattresses to defeat the GOP standard-bearer in the Maryland Senate race.
Two-term former governor Larry Hogan has never been a Trump ally. He blamed Trump for the mostly peaceful demonstration at the Capitol on January 6.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday that President Donald Trump bears responsibility for the group of rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol building last week, threatened members of Congress and ransacked the seat of the legislative branch.
His words come amid a groundswell of support among Congressional Democrats for a second impeachment.
“There is no question in my mind that [Trump] was responsible for inciting this riotous mob,” Hogan said during an appearance Sunday morning on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper.
He also said that had he been in the Senate, he would have voted to convict former President Trump in his second impeachment trial.
Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan on Sunday praised Senate Republicans who broke with the party ranks and voted against former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial, saying if he were a senator, he would have done the same.
“I’m proud of them because sometimes it’s not – it’s not easy to go against your party and the base of your party and the former President and – but it’s hard to do the right thing sometimes, but I think I’m proud of those folks that did take that decision and put the country ahead of party or personal affection or whatever,” Hogan told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”
So, it was completely on-brand when Hogan took to “X,” the social media platform formerly called “Twitter,” to express his approval of Donald Trump’s conviction in a New York courtroom and let us know that we need to support the verdict.
Regardless of the result, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process. At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders—regardless of party—must not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship. We must reaffirm what has made this nation…
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) May 30, 2024
RELATED: Now Is Not the Time to Be Centrist – RedState
This didn’t sit too well in TrumpLand. Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to Trump’s presidential campaign, responded:
You just ended your campaign https://t.co/LJDuQ4oj0A
— Chris LaCivita (@LaCivitaC) May 30, 2024
Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, hinted that the RNC might not financially support Hogan.
Kasie: Does the RNC support Hogan for Senate?
Lara Trump: I don’t support what he just said there. He doesn’t deserve the respect of anyone in the Republican Party at this point. And quite frankly, anybody in America pic.twitter.com/npj9qRuokM
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 2, 2024
This incident highlights a conundrum in the current GOP. Larry Hogan was elected twice as governor. The last time a Republican served two terms as Maryland’s governor was 1951. Since then, only two Republicans have held that office: Spiro Agnew (1967 to 1969) and Bob Ehrlich (2003 to 2007). The point is that Hogan is not someone to be dismissed in Maryland politics, where a Trump endorsement won’t carry a lot of weight. In the GOP primary, former gubernatorial candidate and Trump-endorsed Dan Cox was curb-stomped in the primary to represent Maryland’s Sixth District, the second most conservative district in the state.
BACKGROUND:
Bad News for Democrats: GOP’s Chances of Flipping the Senate Are Looking Even Better – RedState
New Poll Shows GOP Has Strong Chance to Flip Multiple Democrat Senate Seats – RedState
If anything, TrumpLand coming after Hogan will help him in November. Hogan has released a commercial featuring prominent Democrats, including the current governor of Maryland, praising him for opposing Trump.
The choice for Trump’s campaign is a hard one. Do they suck it, take the “L,” and welcome Hogan to the US Senate if he wins? Or do they continue to try to sandbag Hogan’s campaign and have another Lisa Murkowski to contend with?
