Republican senators and lawmakers' support for Trump increases

Early in 2021, after losing to Democrat Joe Biden and raising doubts that he inspired a crowd of supporters to attack Capitol, trying to overturn the outcome of the 2020 elections, he began to lay the groundwork for support in Congress, which he would need in case of his return.

Thanks to the abundant three-hour dinners, organised in its private clubs, with fundraising campaigns, traveling on his private plane, and providing support to other candidates, Mr. Trump secured the support of Republican lawmakers.

At the time of the preliminary elections in Ayeva, former President Trump had secured support from 120 Republican House of Representatives and from nearly half of the Republicans in the Senate. On Wednesday, after Mr. Trump won the preliminary elections in New Hampshire, his support grew even more, with a solid majority of Republicans in both chambers of Congress.

The time has come for the Republican Party to unite around President Trump”, said House of Representatives Chairman Mike Johnson after Mr. Trump's victory in New Hampshire.

It's an extraordinary twist for former President Trump, whose campaign is being empowered not only by loyal voters but also by elected Republicans in Congress. These lawmakers appear to be unwilling or unable to stop its establishment, almost ensuring that Mr. Trump does not have institutional obstacles to the party's appointment and its possible return to power.

Mr. Trump himself rejoiced at the support of those behind him on election night in New Hampshire, where he was trying to get his only Republican rival, Nikki Haley out of the race. The former president also secured the support of Republicans from her state, South Carolina. He singled out Senator Tim Scott and said during a comment he probably hates” Mrs. Haley, former governor of the state of South Carolina.

The senator, once himself part of the race for president, appeared at the microphone to correct the former president, saying: “, I just love you”.

The race to secure support for years has been carefully orchestrated as a way of bringing an official legitimacy of Washington, Mr. Trump, to which the House of Representatives has twice launched dismissal proceedings, raising charges even of assaulting the Capitol. Former President Trump currently faces federal charges under suspicion of inciting the attack on the Capitol, among dozens other charges in several different court cases.

Although there was a kind of resistance earlier, Mr. Trump has essentially won support from all segments of the Republican Party in Congress. This support comes from the Republican leadership team in the House of Representatives, including parliamentary group chief Tom Emmer, who had voted to certified Mr. Biden's election in 2020, until the chairman of the hard-line conservative group “Freedom”, Virginia's lawmaker Bob Good, who quickly changed access last week, when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign.

Republicans in the Senate, which once constituted a more vocal group of skeptics towards Mr. Trump, are also joining the former president's support group, except some. Mr. Trump is even receiving support from a New York lawmaker in a district of the House of Representatives that President Biden won last time.

The apparent obstacles come from Republican leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell and some senior Republican senators, who look deeply cautious about a possible return of Mr. Trump and have not yet given support.

“I have no announcement to make for the presidential election, in fact, all of you may remember that I have stayed without including”, said Mr. McConnell before the New Hampshire elections. He had strongly accused Mr. Trump in 2021, blaming the possible president in the election for the attack on the Capitol, but still voted to free him from charges during the process against Mr. Trump in the Senate.

Mr. McConnell has signaled he would support any candidate who would ensure the republican appointment in the preliminary elections. A similar comment has been made before reporters Wednesday, even the republican second-highest official in the Senate, John Thone from South Dakota, but Mr. Trump does not appreciate that kind of support as sufficient.

He wants full support.

Lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mr. Trump's vocal ally, said the party is at a moment of a “real change”.

Whatever republic is not willing to adapt to its policies, we are completely removing them from the party. This is the truth!”, she later wrote on social networks.

So far, Mr. Trump has received support from 30 republican senators and about 120 republican lawmakers, figures these much higher than support for rival Nikki Haley and even Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor who suspended his campaign after the disappointing results in Aeva. Later he decided to back former President Trump.

Experts have warned that democracies facing threats like Mr. Trump's attempt to overthrow the 2020 elections have a better chance of surviving when parties stand up to defend free and fair elections instead of fueling false theories, as Mr. Trump and his allies in Congress have done.

This is not happening, as Mr. Trump continues to gather support in his march towards obtaining appointment from the Republican Party for presidential elections.

“People want to line up after candidate”, Republican Senator Mitt Romney, the only one who voted to convict Mr. Trump in both cases when the House of Representatives, lamented Mr. Trump.

“As it happened four or eight years ago, people initially say very strong things”, Senator Romney said. “Then, when he officially becomes the party candidate, they bow and kiss the ring, as Donald Trump” himself has said.

Journalists asked Senator Romney if he would do the same?

I won't do that”, said Mr. Mitt Romney.

Former President Trump's team says securing support from those with reservations has been easier than it can think, insisting there are no pressure campaigns, or the way Mr. Trump allegedly used to attract lawmakers, through calls and dinners in his private residences at Mar-a-Lago and Bedminster.

In fact, Republican senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, who joined Mr. Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 elections, but who did not publicly say whether they would support him or not, faced former president's warning on social networks to be very careful “”. He reminded them of campaigns for their re-election. Senator Howley offered support right after that.

Senator Cruz, during an interview with the Associated Press's news agency, recalled that he and the former president argued bitterly with each other during the 2016 race. During this time, Mr. Trump publicly offended the wife and family of the senator. After Mr. Trump's victory, Senator Cruz said he was the strongest “ally of the former president in the Senate.

If he is elected in November and I hope he is elected, I will again be Donald Trump's strongest ally in Senate”, Senator Cruz said.

Sometimes lawmakers do not speak directly to Mr. Trump, but to his team, who work to secure support within the party. This team is led by former White House Political Director Brian Jack, who remains his main liaison with the Capitol.

Mr. Jack, currently senior campaign adviser, said providing support has not been difficult at all, given the hundreds and hundreds of hours President Trump has spent on developing relations and deep ties he holds with everyone in the party. / VOA