July 14, 2022 10:40 AM UTC

Trump Smash! 2024 Campaign is Bad News for Colorado GOP

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: As The Intelligencer at New York Magazine reports, Trump has already decided to run for President in 2024. The only question left is when he announces his intentions:

“Do I go before or after? That will be my big decision,” he said.

He was thinking aloud now. “I just think that there are certain assets to before,” he said. “Let people know. I think a lot of people would not even run if I did that because, if you look at the polls, they don’t even register. Most of these people. And I think that you would actually have a backlash against them if they ran. People want me to run.”

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As The Washington Post reports, former President Donald Trump is eager to officially kick off his 2024 campaign for the White House…regardless of how such an announcement might impact the 2022 election:

For nearly a year, a kitchen cabinet of Donald Trump confidants have told the former president not to announce his 2024 comeback candidacy before the midterms, arguing that he could be a drag on 2022 candidates and would be blamed if Republicans underperformed.

But Trump has continued to regularly push for an early announcement in private meetings, as potential 2024 rivals become more aggressive amid signs of weakening support among his base. Now an increasing number of allies are urging him to follow his instincts as a way to shore up his standing in the party and drive turnout to help the GOP take over the House and Senate next year.

The former president is now eyeing a September announcement, according to two Trump advisers, who like some others interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. One confidant put the odds at “70-30 he announces before the midterms.” And others said he may still decide to announce sooner than September. [Pols emphasis]

Republicans across the country are still very nervous about the prospect of a looming campaign announcement from Trump, and for good reason. President Biden’s approval ratings are historically low…but he still polls higher than Trump, who generates a 60% disapproval rating (including an astounding 46% who rate Trump as VERY unfavorable).

According to a recent poll from POLITICO/Morning Consult, 48% of American voters do NOT want Trump to seek the Presidency in 2024. But here’s the problem for the GOP, as The Hill newspaper explains:

Despite a 56 percent unfavorable rating among voters, Trump still wins by a long shot in a question about who an individual would vote for in the 2024 Republican presidential primary if it were held today. [Pols emphasis] The poll found 52 percent said they would vote for Trump, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in second at only 21 percent.

D’oh!

Should Trump formally announce his campaign in the coming months, it would create a new pressing question for top Republican candidates in Colorado on a topic that none of them want to be talking about. For example:

♦ Republican Senate nominee Joe O’Dea has repeatedly praised Trump on talk radio, candidate forums, and media interviews. Just last month, O’Dea told CBS4Denver and The Colorado Sun that he would support Trump in 2024 if Trump is the Republican nominee. O’Dea also campaigned on his Trump ties ahead of the June 28th Primary Election:

♦ Republican gubernatorial nominee Hiedi Heidi Ganahl still can’t even provide a straight answer on whether or not the 2020 election was fraudulent. Ganahl endorsed Trump’s re-election campaign in 2020 and has said publicly that she would accept Trump’s endorsement in her own campaign. Ganahl is also currently being advised by several former Trump staffers, including Boris Epshteyn and Brad Parscale.

♦ Both Republican nominees in Colorado’s most competitive congressional races are also Trump supporters. Erik Aadland (CO-07) flat-out says that the 2020 Presidential election was a fraud and would have a hard time dodging questions about a 2024 Trump campaign. Ditto for “Secession” Barb Kirkmeyer (CO-08), who has bragged about campaigning for Trump in 2016.

Let’s not forget perhaps the most important statistic in this discussion: In 2020, Trump lost to Biden in Colorado by nearly 14 points. There’s no mystery as to whether or not Trump appeals to moderate voters in Colorado. He does not.

If and when Trump announces his 2024 campaign for President, Colorado Republican candidates will immediately start fielding questions about whether or not they support the man who was quite clearly plotting a coup just 18 months ago. That’s not a corner any candidate wants to be backed into in the final months of the election.