Michigan Republicans Turn on Controversial Election-Denying State Party Chair: ‘Tyrannical, Incompetent Dumpster Fire’
A civil war has broken out within the Michigan Republican Party, amid growing efforts to oust the party’s controversial chairwoman, who one disgruntled member referred to as a “tyrannical, incompetent dumpster fire.”
The state is expected to be a critically important battleground in 2024, with Cook Political Report recently moving the state from “lean D” to “tossup” for the presidential election, CNN News Central anchor Kate Bolduan noted, with President Joe Biden winning in 2020 and former President Donald Trump winning it in 2016.
But now there was “serious trouble brewing” within the Michigan GOP at “the worst possible time for this to be happening, all centered on the state party leader,” Kristina Karamo, Bolduan added before introducing CNN national correspondent Jason Carroll.
Karamo is “a former community college professor, poll watcher, election conspiracy theorist” as well as chair of the Michigan Republican Party, Carroll reported. She noted Karamo is also a “charismatic” speaker who can really “get a crowd going.”
Carroll interviewed multiple members of the Michigan GOP, including several who said they had been among Karamo’s “biggest supporters” but were now some of her “biggest critics” — calling for her to be removed from her position.
One state committee member called Karamo “a tyrannical, incompetent dumpster fire,” said Carroll, and other critics have accused her of being the reason that the state party is “bogged down with in-fighting, dysfunction and — according to the documents — dismal fund-raising.”
Another former Karamo supporter turned critic, a former district chair, told Carroll that the party was now “bankrupt” because Karamo “ran it into the ground.”
“You understand what some of your critics say,” said Carroll. “They will say that you got what you asked for, and this is the person –”
“I was wrong,” the former district chair admitted. “Full stop, I was strong.”
According to her critics, among Karamo’s “questionable spending decisions” were taking out a $110,00 loan to pay actor Jim Caviezel, who is known for pushing QAnon conspiracy theories, to speak at a big event this September.
The party’s financial situation is now “so dire,” said Carroll, that “some members of the party’s budget committee have resigned,” and one warned the party “faced imminent default on the line of credit.”
Besides the presidential race, Michigan Republicans fear Karamo’s mismanagement and lackluster fundraising will cause trouble for statewide and down-ballot races, Carroll reported, adding that other decisions had alienated members, like a leaked conference attendee list that ranked potential volunteers 1 through 4, with 1 being a “patriot” and 4 being “me first or RINO.”
Watch above via CNN.
