Former President Donald Trump decided over the weekend to target Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for primary defeat in 2022. Did he say his reason is that she is not conservative enough? No. She doesn’t adhere to the Constitution enough? Nope. Hasn’t voted with the party enough? Not quite. Does he actually make any charge against her, other than vaguely worded boilerplate? Only one. Her tremendous sin? She was “disloyal.” To him.

FNC: “Former President Donald Trump said he would campaign against Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and blasted her as a ‘disloyal and very bad Senator’ in a statement this weekend. ‘I will not be endorsing, under any circumstances, the failed candidate from the great State of Alaska, Lisa Murkowski,’ Trump said in a statement. ‘She represents her state badly and her country even worse. I do not know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be – in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator.’…Trump’s declaration could put him at odds with the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Committee chair Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fl., who told ‘Fox News Sunday’ last week that he will support any incumbent Republican senator against primary challengers, even if that challenge is supported by Trump…

Close

“Sens. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Rob Portman of Ohio, and Richard Shelby of Alabama have all announced the past couple of months that they would not launch re-election campaigns. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina said during his 2016 re-election that he wouldn’t run again in 2022. Two other Senate Republicans are also mulling retirements: 87-year old Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.” Roy Blunt of Missouri announced Monday he was retiring as well.

 

That makes 5 now, possibly 7 GOP Senators who could be leaving and Trump is targeting another one. He’s doing the work of the Democrats for them.

How? Murkowski voted for Trump’s conviction in his last Senate trial and now he’s out for personal revenge, regardless of the retiring Republican Senators and a razor thin margin in the Senate. To stop the Democrats we need every vote we can get in Congress. But just as in Georgia, Trump helps the Democrats by sabotaging Republicans. Again, his ego is out of control and he puts his own pathological petulance over the needs of party and country.

In addition, his collision course with the NRSC will split funds and other resources Republicans need to beat Democrats. But Trump doesn’t care. His priorities are about him and only him.

“Trump is a contributing factor in that Capitol Hill has long been a bad workplace. Members and senators have long been unhappy in their jobs. And Trump exacerbated that,” said Doug Heye, a veteran GOP operative and former Republican National Committee communications director. Trump is making matters worse for the country by aiding and abetting the Democrats in their quest to keep the Senate. And it’s all over his ego. Pathetic.