According to President Donald Trump’s niece, psychologist Mary L. Trump, Republicans in tight races are diving out of windows to avoid appearing onstage with her uncle at a time when they would normally be hugging him tight.
“There are 27 days until the midterms and … [Texas] gubernatorial incumbent Greg Abbott and the senate candidate Ken Paxton are facing unexpectedly tight midterm races, which is forcing the Republican Party to spend money on races they have been able to ignore,” Mary said on her Wednesday podcast.
While Mary Trump says her uncle likes to brag “on his failing social media site” that ‘MY RALLIES ARE SAVING THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, AGAIN,’ Trump is actually finding himself in the unusual circumstance of seeing fellow Republicans in tight races flee at the sight of him on a stage.
“It appears that Trump’s endorsement has become toxic. And there will be one notable no-show in San Antonio tonight,” said Mary Trump, speaking of Abbott. “He will not be appearing there as he is fighting for his reelection coming up this November. He is in a dead heat with his Democratic opponent.”
Abbott told The Hill that “Because of the schedule that I run, where I go to multiple cities a day doing events like this, I already have events like this scheduled that day and I will not be able to make it.”
That, said Mary Trump, “is just code for ‘please do not put me within 39 and a half feet of Donald Trump because he is toxic and I am afraid of losing because Republicans in Texas — even Texas — can’t stand him.’”
She added that thanks to Trump, Abbot “is in the fight of his political life and he needs to campaign relentlessly and constantly until Election Day,” but she found it astounding that the party flees Trump today.
“Again, nobody wants to be seen with Donald. It would ‘ve been unheard of or unthinkable four years ago for a Republican candidate to run away from the president of the United States due to ‘scheduling conflicts,’” said Trump.
Trump then cited a REUTERS story reporting that “two-thirds of Republican candidates in competitive U.S. House and Senate races have broken with Trump” on policy, or they have played down ties to him, revealing a “widespread effort to distance themselves from the president as his unpopularity threatens the party's hold on Congress.”
The REUTERS’ review of voting records, public statements and campaign materials found candidates in 41 of 62 competitive congressional races seeking distance from Trump ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
However, some of the GOP candidates that eventually accept Trump’s public love come to regret it, said Mary Trump, citing her uncle’s lambasting of Paxton over his dress and manner.
“I don’t really like the way he looks. I don’t like it,” Trump said to laughter. “But you know what I did like? He was the greatest attorney general in the history of Texas. He was the greatest attorney general in the history of America.”
“First of all, of course Donald Trump thinks of Ken Paxton as the world’s ‘greatest’ politician because he’s the most corrupt one by far, and that’s what it takes to get Donald to compliment you. But, I’m sorry, criticizing the way Paxton dresses and talks — so says the man who wears ill-fitting clown suits and whose voice could grate cheese.”
Even Paxton admitted privately in leaked audio that Trump did him no favors with his decision to push a midterm convention.
