‘PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!’ Trump Calls for All 18 Republican Senators Who Voted for Omnibus Spending Bill to Be Run Out of Office
Former President Donald Trump called for the ouster of roughly a third of the Republcian Senate caucus following the passing of a massive $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill.
Trump took to social media and first congratulated Speaker Kevin McCarthy for his eventual election (after 15 dramatic votes), and included a video of McCarthy giving credit to the 45th president for his role in helping negotiate his successful bid for second in line for the presidency.
He then turned his ire to “Mitch McConnell and his China flagrant boss, Coco Chow.” Of course he is making another racialized reference to Elaine Chao, who served as Secretary of Transportation in his own administration. “Something is wrong with McConnell, and those Republican Senators that Vote with him,” he wrote. “PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!” His full message reads:
Great job Kevin! We must now stop Mitch McConnell and his China flagrant boss, Coco Chow. It’s as though he just doesn’t care anymore, he pushes through anything the Democrats want. The $1.7 TRILLION quickly approved Bill of the week before was HORRIBLE. Zero for USA Border Security. If he waited just ten days, the now “United Republican Congress” could have made it MUCH BETTER, or KILLED IT. Something is wrong with McConnell, and those Republican Senators that Vote with him. PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!
So who is he specifically calling out? Following is a list of the 18 Republican Senators who voted to pass the massive spending bill:
• Roy Blunt (Missouri)
• John Boozman (Arkansas)
• Shelley Capito (West Virginia)
• Susan Collins (Maine)
• John Cornyn (Texas)
• Tom Cotton (Arkansas)
• Lindsey Graham (South Carolina)
• Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma)
• Mitch McConnell (Kentucky)
• Jerry Moran (Kansas)
• Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
• Rob Portman (Ohio)
• Mitt Romney (Utah)
• Mike Rounds (South Dakota)
• Richard Shelby (Alabama)
• John Thune (South Dakota)
• Roger Wicker (Mississippi)
• Todd Young (Indiana)
That’s 36 percent of all Republican senators that Trump is directing his followers to primary, though Senators Blunt and Shelby have since retired.
For the past five or so years, Trump’s power over the GOP has largely stemmed from a threat of supporting the in-party primary opponents, which has led to more MAGA-friendly members of Congress. The 2022 midterms, however, were close to a disaster for the GOP and for Trump’s power, and this latest salvo seems a clear effort to reclaim his control over the Republican party.
