On October 17, Republicans’ biggest donors will meet at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach. They have one big concern: how do we get rid of Donald Trump? They haven’t had anything to do with the ex-president for a long time, and not just because he is a vulgar liar. Above all, they are convinced that he is a loser.
The moneybags within the Grand Old Party have been wanting to get rid of Trump for some time. Men like David Koch and the members of the influential Club for Growth have already spent more than $4 million on an anti-Trump campaign. The success has remained manageable so far. David McIntosh, responsible for this campaign, told the New York Times: “Every ad we’ve tried to attack Trump has had the opposite effect or nothing at all. This also applies to places where Trump clearly says stupid things.”
Little or nothing can also be expected from the well-known Trump challengers. The second primary debate between Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Mike Pence & Co. once again brutally showed how irrelevant these future presidents have become. Even former hopeful Ron DeSantis has degenerated into a joke with a fake smile.
Lost everything? Can Trump no longer be prevented? Not quite. Koch and Co. still have one hope: Glenn Youngkin, Governor of Virginia. If he were to enter the race, they hope, they would have an alternative to the aging Joe Biden and a real chance to retake the White House.
It’s no coincidence that wealthy patrons especially like Youngkin. He’s one of them. His fortune is several hundred million dollars because he worked wherever there was a lot of money to be made: initially at the consulting firms Boston Consulting and McKinsey. Then he joined private equity firm Carlyle Group, where he was once CEO and made a big impression.
Very wealthy Americans often feel the need to get into politics, including Youngkin. He ran for governor of Virginia in 2021 – and won in this state, where Democrats are gradually gaining the upper hand. In his election campaign, Youngkin worked smartly: on the one hand he stayed away from Trump – there were no joint appearances – on the other hand he also relied on the anti-woke wave and especially criticized the supposedly permissive sex education in public schools.
With this trick he wants to ensure that the Republicans also gain a majority in the Virginia Congress on November 7. If he succeeds, it would be a triumph, after all, Biden managed to win the southern state in the presidential elections. The principals’ plan is to immediately register Youngkin as a presidential candidate and collect signatures. The hopefuls should be at the start of the first Iowa caucuses in January.
Youngkin himself remains tight-lipped about these plans. But the financiers, including publisher Rupert Murdoch, put pressure on him. They know that the votes of the “soccer moms,” the women in the suburbs, who are so important to victory, are out of reach with Trump. By contrast, the image of Virginia’s governor is squeaky clean. The 56-year-old is considered a loyal husband and father of four.
In other words, in the eyes of major donors, Youngkin would be the ideal challenger to the elder Biden, especially as Trump has become increasingly unelectable to all decent Americans. The failure of the ex-president is – to the extent that is still possible – becoming increasingly radical. The most recent example is Trump’s attack on Mark Milley, the outgoing chief of staff. As Trump became increasingly unhinged in his final days as president, Milley called his Chinese counterpart and assured him that no attack on China was expected and that if there was one, he would inform him in a timely manner. Trump has used this as an opportunity to call for the death penalty for Milley for allegedly committing treason.
However absurd the ex-president’s outbursts are, they are not without consequences. Paul Gosar, an Arizona representative and hardcore Trump fan, has called for Milley to be hanged in his newsletter.
Meanwhile, President Biden could bring himself to openly attack his predecessor. In a speech in Phoenix (Arizona), he finally spoke clearly: Trump is doing everything he can to undermine democratic institutions and turn people against each other, according to Biden. “The MAGA threat is a threat that strikes at the roots of democracy. It is also a threat to the character of our nation.”
Trump’s reputation as a businessman has been damaged following recent rulings by a judge in New York. He is no longer seen as a successful real estate magnate, but as a shabby fraudster and even has to consider being placed under guardianship.
This danger does not exist with Youngkin. However, whether he will be able to hold his own against Joe Biden is anything but certain. Skeptics point to Mitt Romney, Barack Obama’s failed challenger. Like Romney, Youngkin could also fail because Johnny Sixpack sees him as a representative of the hated Wall Street elite and therefore rejects him.
Skeptics also point out that latecomers haven’t had a chance so far. The latest example of this thesis is Mike Bloomberg. The former mayor of New York submitted a last-minute application to the Democrats. Even though he spent about a billion dollars out of his own pocket on his election campaign, he didn’t stand a chance.
If Youngkin were to actually run for office, he would ultimately have to expect fierce resistance from Trump as well. The ex-president doesn’t just have to win the election to avoid the threat of jail time. He is also fighting for his financial survival. Therefore, he would use every dirty trick he has up his sleeve – and there are many – against Youngkin. No wonder Virginia’s governor is hesitant.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
