(PatrioticPost.com)- Trump is a party boss like the old days of Tammany Hall.
The former president is in charge of the Republican Party, preparing for another election and assisting supporters in deposing authorities who thwarted his attempted election rigging in 2020 by hoarding cash, doling out favors, and seeking to kill opponents.
Trump has amassed more than $120 million by converting Mar-a-historic Lago’s bridal suite into a shadow GOP headquarters. According to federal data, in the last six months of 2021, his PAC raised more money online than the party on all but two days. Trump has actively pursued a vengeance agenda against Republicans who have mistreated him, sponsoring over 140 candidates around the country.
As he considers a third presidential candidacy, the issue is whether he can continue to be a kingmaker if he doesn’t run.
Trump listens to the lobbying of senior Republicans, like Rep. Kevin McCarthy, and then turns on them with little warning. Federal candidates and committees have paid nearly $1.3 million to hold events at Mar-a-Lago, records show. Trump has rarely deployed his massive list of supporters to help other politicians raise money. The Trump team is now planning to spend directly to assist some vulnerable candidates.
The mechanics of elections have been a significant emphasis of President Donald Trump’s campaign, which has sowed skepticism in the system through charges of vote manipulation. Democrats expect to lose seats in 2022, but strategists from both parties think Trump’s high public presence poses a threat to Republicans.
Some candidates pay to attend fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago on behalf of others, hoping for a short moment of Trump’s attention or, better yet, a photo. On Instagram, one House candidate described her brief encounter with Trump as an “amazing experience.” The endorsement race is, in many respects, a real-life reenactment of Donald Trump’s former reality-TV career as The Apprentice star.
Last year, Trump gathered many Ohio Senate candidates in a room at Mar-a-Lago, and they began viciously criticizing one another. Almost all Ohio candidates have run commercials emphasizing their links to Trump and have personally lobbied him.
Before he traveled to Florida for a Mar-a-Lago event in November, an Arizona Senate contender released a video declaring, “I think Trump won in 2020.” In March, a group encouraging Trump to revoke his support for Matthew DePerno purchased an ad in Michigan condemning him. Idaho’s Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin went on Fox News and sang Trump’s praises; he contacted her the next day.
Insiders believe it’s vital to present attractive graphic content. The use of large typefaces is critical. Photos and images are included. Trump will send encouraging messages scribbled on newspaper clippings with Sharpie.
Trump treats Republican candidates like game pieces based on his endorsement win-loss record. Although the results have been varied, he may be able to catch up to those following him. The former President has been particularly aggressive in enlisting challenges to his most vocal Republican critics, such as Cheney. Trump has been active in municipal politics, notably in Michigan, where he has attempted to seize control of the state’s election process. He has backed more than a half-dozen Michigan legislative candidates, including Maddock’s husband, state Representative Matt Maddock, for speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives. “This is about ensuring that Michigan is not manipulated and stolen again in 2024,” Trump said on April 2 in Detroit.
It is clear, though. At the grassroots voter level, his dominance of the party is unmatched. Until he declines to run again in 2024 or is beaten, few see his rule coming to an end.
Trump strikes fear into both the left and some on the right.