Republican Senator-elect JD Vance criticised people who have claimed that former president Donald Trump’s standing is diminished after many of his candidates lost in the 2022 midterms.
Mr Vance spoke to The New York Times after he beat Representative Tim Ryan to win Ohio’s open Senate seat. Mr Trump had endorsed Mr Vance in the Republican primary, which catapulted him to the Republican nomination. in May,
“Every year, the media writes Donald Trump’s political obituary. And every year, we’re quickly reminded that Trump remains the most popular figure in the Republican Party,” Mr Vance told the Times.
Many Republicans have criticised the former president for endorsing a slate of candidates who lost resoundingly across the country. In Pennsylvania, his preferred candidate for governor Doug Mastriano overwhelmingly lost, while Democrat John Fetterman beat television physician Mehmet Oz in the Keystone State’s Senate race.
In Michigan, incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer trounced Tudor Dixon and flipped the state legislature. In North Carolina, his endorsed congressional candidate Bo Hines lost in the 13th District while Sandy Smith, whom he endorsed in North Carolina’s 1st District, lost as well.
In Wisconsin, Tim Michels, whom he endorsed for governor, lost to incumbent Democrat Tony Evers despite incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson winning.
At the same time, Kari Lake, whom he endorsed in the Republican primary for Arizona governor, is locked in a tight contest with Democrat Katie Hobbs. Similarly, Ted Budd, whom he endorsed in the Republican Senate primary in North Carolina, won his race. But Herschel Walker, whom Mr Trump pushed to run for Senate, will go into a runoff against Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock.
The bleeding has led some Republicans to question Mr Trump’s status as the leader of the Republican Party, especially as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, his potential 2024 rival, overwhelmingly won re-election even as Mr Trump did not embrace him. Similarly, Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia, whom Mr Trump tried to oust in the primary, decisively beat Stacey Abrams in his race for re-election.
