Staff Reports
The former President Donald Trump continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the Republican Party, but it seems not everyone in California is ready to hop on the Trump train just yet.
Why some California Republicans are dodging the Trump question https://t.co/KRdLxvjynp https://t.co/KRdLxvjynp
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 12, 2024
Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) stands out as the only California Republican who flat out said he won’t be endorsing Trump. However, others in the state are being a bit more wishy-washy about their feelings toward the former president. Some are tiptoeing around the issue, carefully avoiding any firm declarations, according to Politico.
The situation in California is a bit tricky for the Republican Party. There’s a handful of centrist representatives holding onto seats in purple districts, and they’re trying their best not to upset the delicate balance. These reps are hoping to keep their jobs by steering clear of Trump, who tends to stir up strong emotions on both sides of the political spectrum.
On the flip side, these reps also need to watch their step when it comes to Trump’s die-hard supporters. They don’t want to tick off the Trump fanatics in their districts, but they also know that not everyone is thrilled with the former president.
A consultant, Mike Madrid, described the situation as Republicans not exactly loving Trump, but also not ready to jump ship and join the Democrats. It’s a tightrope act of hoping their voters will be anti-Trump rather than pro-Biden.
There’s also the matter of certain Republican districts in California having a significant number of Asians and Pacific Islanders, who haven’t been too pleased with some of Trump’s past comments about their communities. Which makes it even trickier for some of these reps to fully embrace Trump.
And then, of course, there’s Rep. Tom McClintock, who’s in a deep-red district but still hasn’t thrown his support behind Trump. McClintock showed his cards early on by endorsing Gov. Ron DeSantis in the presidential primary before DeSantis bowed out.
It’s all a bit of a political circus in California, where Republicans are walking on eggshells, trying to keep their seats, and dodging the unpredictable behavior of the former commander-in-chief.
