If DeSantis Wins the Nomination, Trump Will Endorse Him (hurl)

NY Mag ^ | 11/23/22 | Jonathan Chait

[NeverCheney]

Former Trump Justice Department head William Barr, in the course of reiterating his strong preference that his party nominate a less deranged presidential candidate next time, expressed a fear that has been in wide circulation: If defeated in the primary, Donald Trump “will burn the whole house down by leading ‘his people’ out of the GOP.”

One version of this is that Trump will either form a third party or simply refuse to endorse another Republican, thereby dooming his party’s chances. Those of us considering the question from a less friendly standpoint than Barr — I consider the Republican Party an unsalvageable fanatical proto-authoritarian formation — would very much like it to be true. Indeed, I have seen commentators treat it as something like a certainty that would doom a Ron DeSantis or any other non-Trump alternative.

But I think this idea misunderstands both Trump and the incentive structure of the Republican Party.

It is true that a world in which Trump has lost a primary to DeSantis is a world in which Trump feels very angry with DeSantis. But DeSantis is not the only person Trump feels angry with. Trump has spent the past several years simmering with anger at Joe Biden. And while a contested primary would make Trump resent DeSantis more than he does now, it’s hardly certain that it would make him hate DeSantis more than he hates Biden.

More important, it would be uncharacteristic for Trump to allow his grudges to get in the way of his clear self-interest. Trump does lash out wildly at anybody who disrespects him, but he also turns on a dime and makes friends with his former enemies. You can see this pattern in the way he lashed out at the likes of Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio before reconciling

[MinorityRepublican]

I am of the opinion that the speech was his platform, just like when he announced in 2016.

In 2016, people held the nose and voted for him. That won't be the case this time.

[philman_36]

In 2016, people held the (sic) nose and voted for him. That won't be the case this time.

If that is what you believe then keep on believing it.

BTW, I sure don't hear you continuing to contest that there is no plan.

[MinorityRepublican]

BTW, I sure don't hear you continuing to contest that there is no plan.

Okay he has a plan. But it's a @#itty one. The Democrats are going to cheat and lie to their victory in 2024.

[philman_36]

But it's a @#itty one. The Democrats are going to cheat and lie to their victory in 2024.

Thank you for sharing your opinion.

Would you like me to dismantle it as easily as I did your previous opinion?

[MinorityRepublican]

Would you like me to dismantle it as easily as I did your previous opinion?

Up to you. Or we can wait and see what happens in 2024.

[philman_36]

Call this a freebie...A man who isn't even ON a social media platform, even though he has a presence there, has garnered vastly more followers in just a few days than the sitting *POTUS has accumulated in years.

Do you know who that man is?

[philman_36]

Or we can wait and see what happens in 2024.

And you'll be throwing small buckets of water, ineffective as they may be, on the Trump bonfire the whole time, right?

[MinorityRepublican]

Call this a freebie...A man who isn't even ON a social media platform, even though he has a presence there, has garnered vastly more followers in just a few days than the sitting *POTUS has accumulated in years.

All right then. Good point there. Brandon campaigned from his basement in 2020. Okay. Some of it was ballot harvesting so Democrats may have cheated and took advantage of covid-19 pandemic to rig the election in their favor. But a lot of people voted against Trump. Not because they loved Brandon. So Brandon was able to get those votes. It won't be any different in 2024. Brandon is counting on that happening again.

[Maris Crane]

THAT’S A BIG “IF”, MISTER PRESIDENT.

As much as I like DeSantis, he is attracting some of the WRONG PEOPLE.

I’ll withhold my inner thoughts.

[philman_36]

But a lot of people voted against Trump.

You say this AFTER talking about cheating.

You've been TOLD a lot of people voted against Trump.
You haven't been SHOWN a lot of people voted against Trump and if cheating happened you never can be shown that.

Destroy/hide the evidence and you're clean. Trump lost because we, the people running the election, say so.
And don't question us...ever.

[MinorityRepublican]

You say this AFTER talking about cheating. You've been TOLD a lot of people voted against Trump.

Yep. Reality is complicated. What happened in 2020 was a perfect storm against Trump. In 2016, he was lucky because he ran against Hillary. And the Left didn't take his candicacy seriously.

In 2024, if Trump wins the Republican nomination, you'll have some states that lean red like North Carolina vote for Biden.

[philman_36]

...you'll have some states that lean red like North Carolina vote for Biden.

Your assumption is noted.

[lasereye]

It’s in Trump’s own interest to so what he can to prevent Biden/Garland from getting another four years. He’d have to be truly dense not to see that - or unhinged. Hopefully he’s neither.