'There’s no one in control anymore' as Michigan Republicans quarrel over 'MAGA-style politics': report

Twice-indicted former President Donald Trump's influence over the Republican Party is no secret. But in Michigan, the GOP's slew of losses for high-level offices in the 2022 midterm elections has sparked a growing rift amongst party insiders. One very prominent example, according to Patrick Marley's Wednesday analysis in The Washington Post, is the recent campaign against failed attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno.

"Six months after losing that race, the man who was once considered a champion of MAGA-style politics was denounced by Republican activists as a turncoat for attacking the state GOP's new chairwoman [Kristina Karamo] and supporting efforts to expel delegates," Marley explained.

"Internal struggles will make it even tougher to win next year’s presidential race in the crucial state, veteran party activists say," Marley wrote. "The discord, along with the hard-line positions many Michigan candidates have adopted in recent years, could also influence the balance of power in the Senate."

READ MORE: Police called to Michigan GOP meeting as physical fight breaks out among attendees

DePerno was defeated by incumbent Democratic AG Dana Nessel, who in addition to being part of the criminal probe of Trump's fake electors scheme, was investigating DePerno for an alleged "conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to voting machines after the 2020 vote."

Although Michigan Republicans have "approved rules that are likely to make it easier for Trump to win the nomination in the state," Marley noted that "many remain skeptical of the 2020 election results but differ on whether to continue to focus on the issue. They disparage the party's old guard but often fight over who they consider to be part of the establishment."

Marley reported that "the situation has led to mutual suspicion and attempts to oust one another from the party. Those efforts in turn have sparked accusations and counteraccusations that some members are trying to rig party elections."

One consultant, Jason Cabel Roe, told Marley that "there's no one in control anymore." Similarly, ex-Michigan GOP executive director and never-Trump Lincoln Project adviser Jeff Timmer observed that there has been "more MAGA-on-MAGA violence, or more MAGA versus ultra-MAGA."

READ MORE: 'Hateful and ignorant': Jewish groups rip Michigan GOP for comparing gun safety bills to the Holocaust

Marley's full report continues at this link (subscription required).