GOP Stalwart Skeptical of Donald Trump Winning a General Election – Former New Jersey Governor – and former Trump ally – Chris Christie is not someone you usually think about when considering national Republicans as his star has fallen. Nonetheless, Christie is often willing to opine about the state of the GOP – and the media does pay attention for sure.
Christie has a bad feeling about Donald Trump’s chances to return to the White House. “Trump can’t win a general election,” Christie told ABC’s This Week on January 29. And that could be a problem from Trump as he jumps back on the campaign trail.
Donald Trump Acolytes Failed Miserably
Christie said that polling for the general election was bad for Donald Trump going into the 2020 presidential election and it is equally weak for 2024.
He points to the candidates Trump backed in the last election cycle such as Republicans Kari Lake for Arizona governor, Doug Mastriano for Pennsylvania governor, Blake Masters for senator from Arizona, and Tim Michels for Wisconsin governor.
Do Many in the GOP Secretly Hate Donald Trump?
“We could go through the entire list: Loser, loser, loser, loser,” he said.
Christie believes that when Republicans are behind closed doors they know that candidates who are considered extreme MAGA election deniers are not the type of people who inspire moderates and independents to vote Republican.
Racism Against Asian-Americans
Other political analysts point out that Trump is alienating large groups of voters such as Asian-Americans.
Trump has made racist comments toward Elaine Chao, who is a former cabinet secretary for Trump and wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Trump repeatedly calls Chao “Coco Chow.”
Bloomberg columnist Robert A. George wrote that stunts like these are “politically stupid,” and will “turn off” Asian-Americans.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel who won her own recent election to stay in power has engineered efforts to attract Asian-Americans to vote Republican.
Donald Trump Is Trailing in Polls Against Biden
Morning Consult has conducted two polls measuring the matchup between Trump and President Joe Biden.
One was taken at the beginning of January and the other happened between January 6 and 8. Biden led in both surveys 44 to 41 and 44 to 40 over Trump.
In December Biden led in two other polls over Trump – from Data for Progress and YouGov.
One could argue that it is early and Trump just started his campaign with speeches to party supporters in New Hampshire and South Carolina during the weekend of January 28.
It’s Far From Over
Trump lost the popular vote in 2016 and 2020 and he will again have to broaden his support beyond the Conservative base if he is the GOP nominee in 2024. But it is important to not count Trump out. He seems even more determined to run for president than in the previous races.
No other Republican has declared to run against him, although a handful of candidates are eying the race. Critics have written Trump’s political obituary before only to see Trump continue on without abatement.
Criminal Investigations Could Catch Up to Trump
Donald Trump is facing multiple criminal probes regarding his misuse of classified documents, his actions leading up to the January 6 insurrection, and activities associated with overthrowing the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. He could be indicted for at least one of these alleged offenses.
Trump has shown the ability to ignore and compartmentalize his legal woes, set them aside, and campaign as if there is nothing wrong. His attorneys are adept at stringing out the process of criminal and civil law to delay the legal dragnet against him.
Bet Against Trump at Your Peril
Former founding editor and the editor in chief of the Washington Free Beacon, Matthew Continetti, described Trump’s staying power in a recent column.
“Most important of all, Trump’s rivals in both the Democratic and Republican parties are repeating the mistakes they made in the run-up to the 2016 election,” Continetti wrote. “The Democrats assume that there is no way for Trump to become president, while Republicans believe he will fade from the scene.”
More: Should Joe Biden Quit?
More: How to Save Joe Biden?
More: Nikki Haley for President? Nope.
Donald Trump is still a force in Republican politics and has to be seen as the frontrunner to win the nomination for president, but how he performs in the general election is difficult to predict. The electorate has qualms about Trump and Biden, so 2024 may be a low turnout affair with many voters staying home in protest.
Author Expertise and Experience: Serving as 19FortyFive’s Defense and National Security Editor, Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Foreign Policy/ International Relations.
