'Already making 2024 awkward': New analysis breaks down the GOP war eroding the party

07 April 2023

A new analysis is examining the breakdown within the Republican Party as the political party continues to erode.

In a piece published by The Daily Beast, writers Sam Brodey, Jake Lahut, and Roger Sollenberger examine all that is transpiring behind closed doors. The writers began with a reference to Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) and the irony in his appearance at a presidential campaign event for former President Donald Trump.

"What got GOP tongues wagging was the sight of Rosendale at a Trump 2024 campaign event, posing with Republican lawmakers who are diehard backers of Trump’s presidential bid, and expressing solidarity with the former president—without actually having endorsed Trump’s campaign himself," they wrote.

"For Republicans like Rosendale, it’s an impossible situation. The Club is a powerful backer: its network spent some $150 million in the 2022 election cycle to boost its candidates," the report reads. "Against better-known and better-funded potential rivals, like Rep. Ryan Zinke and wealthy businessman Tim Sheehy, Rosendale could face long odds without the Club’s help."

It added, "For those bizarre optics, Rosendale may have to thank the escalating civil war between two of the GOP’s biggest power centers—where the congressman finds himself awkwardly in the middle."

Although Rosendale is considering another run for the Senate, he's become a potential preferred candidate for the Club For Growth. The writers noted that while the organization previously backed Trump, things recently changed when they opted to support different candidates during the last election cycle.

"The Club, as it’s called in Beltway shorthand, used to work closely with Trump and his political operation. But since the two camps backed different candidates in the 2022 midterm primaries, their relationship has cratered," they wrote. "Trump has openly savaged the Club and its leadership; in turn, the Club has not-so-subtly signaled its opposition to Trump’s third White House bid."

The report also highlights:

"Behind the scenes, the Club has been pressuring members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus—of which Rosendale is a member—to not endorse Trump for president, according to a source who has spoken to multiple caucus members and their aides. Another Republican operative confirmed that account. Politico, meanwhile, reported last week that a 'surprising number' of HFC members were 'going quiet' about their support for Trump in 2024."

The writers also explained what will likely happen as 2024 approaches.

"Ahead of a busy 2024 election cycle in which primaries will shape Republicans’ chances to hold the House and flip Senate seats in a number of key battlegrounds, Rosendale could be just the first Republican hopeful to find themselves stuck in a similar catch-22," they wrote. "Some Republicans worry that the power struggle will only cause collateral damage that could contribute to more disappointing election results and needless feuding."

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