Donald Trump is coming to Pennsylvania today, but whether physically in the Commonwealth or over a thousand miles away in Florida, he has been making an impact on Republicans’ “Trump Primary” for months.
PENNSYLVANIA — While Donald Trump will actually be in Pennsylvania this evening to campaign for his chosen Senate candidate — Oz (R-NJ) — the truth is he’s been making his mark on Republicans’ historically crowded and bitterly ugly “Trump Primary” since it started.
For months, the GOP candidates have been “crafting their campaigns in [Trump’s] image” and racing to the far-right to pander to Trump. They have vowed to outlaw abortion, put nine million Pennsylvanians’ personal private information at risk for a sham ‘audit’ of the 2020 presidential election, doubled down on their plans to defund infrastructure and the State Police, and attacked PA workers in support of the wealthy.
The focus on Trump has also led to chaos with the candidates desperately attacking each other to prove themselves to the former president.. Jake Corman reentered the race because Trump told him to; Lou Barletta, Dave White, and Jake Corman made pilgrimages to Mar-a-Lago; and Bill McSwain was on the receiving end of a stinging “anti-endorsement.”
Trump’s even been the top issue in TV ads, with one report saying that “according to AdImpact this week, commercials that mention Trump have had 16,185 airings in the commonwealth, costing nearly $6.5 million.”
As a result, it’s no surprise that this is spurring worry among fellow Republicans who fear allegiance to Trump and his Big Lie will cost them in November — and simply put, it’s not if Republicans will nominate an election conspiracist, just which one.
“Instead of focusing on the issues that matter most to Pennsylvanians like lowering costs, improving education, and fixing our infrastructure, the leading GOP candidates for Governor have raced to the far-right to pander to Trump,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesperson Marisa Nahem. “Even when Trump’s 1,198.8 miles away, he’s the only one the Republican candidates care about.”
While Trump is in Pennsylvania tonight, his inner circle has been in Pennsylvania for months, and Jenna Ellis will be here to campaign with GOP frontrunner Doug Mastriano tomorrow.
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