Staff Reports
Former President Donald Trump continues to shake up the Republican party with his latest late-night antics. Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday to throw shade at Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) and encourage other “MAGA Republicans” to challenge her in the upcoming election. It seems that Lee got on Trump’s bad side when she initially supported Gov. Ron DeSantis over Trump for the GOP presidential bid before switching her endorsement when DeSantis dropped out of the race. This move didn’t sit well with the former president and now he’s calling for a primary challenge against her.
Trump’s dramatic call for a challenge goes against the recent advice from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has been urging Republicans to stick together and avoid meddling in their colleagues’ primaries. But Trump isn’t one to follow the party line, and he’s making it known with his push to shake up the status quo.
Read "Trump ignores Johnson plea to end infighting with call for challenger against GOP incumbent. The GOP is on their own, @realDonaldTrump is taking all the money from the RNC, leaving republicans with nothing. https://t.co/AGUrzQ1YIU
— Underdog (@Beavis2017WA) March 25, 2024
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) also voiced his disapproval, standing by Lee and criticizing Trump’s “bullying tactics.” Despite the pushback, Trump isn’t the only one getting involved in other members’ primaries. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has been busy campaigning for Republicans challenging his colleagues, claiming that the incumbents aren’t conservative enough.
Despite the growing rift within the party, Lee remains unchallenged in the upcoming primary, for now. The Florida Republican has yet to publicly respond to Trump’s latest jab and is keeping mum on the whole situation.
It’s clear that Trump’s influence is still causing quite a stir within the Republican party. As the 2024 election looms, the party is grappling with division and internal strife, and Trump’s actions are only fanning the flames. Whether Lee will face a serious challenge in the primary is yet to be seen, but one thing’s for sure – the drama within the GOP is far from over.
