Donald Trump Demands Lauren Boebert Fall in Line, She's Having None of It

As the fight over who will be the Speaker of the House rages on, there are some interesting sub-battles going on within the Republican Party.

Perhaps the most surprising dynamic is Donald Trump reiterating his full-throated endorsement of Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday, while McCarthy’s detractors remain almost universally Trump-supporting Republicans. It’s hard to get more “MAGA” than Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz, with the latter actually doing an “America First” tour during the last election season.

Yet, here we are, with previous alliances fraying, and several members of the anti-McCarthy group weren’t afraid to defy the former president. According to Lauren Boebert, Trump called them to tell them to “knock this off.” She took to the House floor and was having none of it.

Good for her. It’s refreshing to see actual free-thinking taking place in Congress, a body that has long been plagued by groupthink and a domineering leadership that essentially tells its members how to vote. As I wrote in an earlier piece, I believe Republican voters are sick of having an elite cabal (which yes, includes Trump) making all the decisions.

And while I get that Trump wants to flex his influence, in doing so, he’s managed to endorse two-thirds of the party’s establishment (Kevin McCarthy and Ronna McDaniel), which makes him part of the establishment. That reality can’t be brushed aside, and I think Boebert has realized she can’t straddle the fence anymore. Trump is her opposition here, and she’s not afraid to deal with that head-on. Seeing that is far preferable to seeing Republicans fall in line because they are told to.

Matt Gaetz also shared criticism of the former president and derided the endorsement of McCarthy.

I’m not sure what Trump is thinking here. He could have been a hero on Wednesday morning by endorsing Byron Donalds and joining some of his biggest supporters in fighting the establishment. Instead, he doubled down on his support for McCarthy. That feels a lot like Trump just wanting to be seen as supporting the “winner,” given McCarthy is likely to prevail eventually once he makes enough concessions.

That’s not leadership, though. Rather, it’s the same kind of inside baseball that so many Republican voters have come to despise. Is Trump really so desperate to regain power that he’s willing to become part of the establishment to get there? It’s hard to come to a different conclusion at this point.

That aside, the now-21 holdouts (McCarthy lost a vote on the sixth ballot) are providing a bit of inspiration in being willing to defy the person who has previously defined their movement. Donalds stepping up as a viable candidate has changed the game.

What has Byron Donalds done, except being born black, to deserve SotH?

Seriously?

That's the SECOND bonehead statement you've made, today.

Here you go...

Byron Lowell Donalds (born October 28, 1978)[2] is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 19th congressional district since 2021.[3][4] His district serves most of the heart of Southwest Florida, including Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, and Naples. A member of the Republican Party, Donalds was the Florida state representative for the 80th district, from 2016 to 2020.[5][6][7]

Born and raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Donalds attended Florida A&M University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and marketing from Florida State University in 2002. He was a member of the Tea Party movement and unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. Donalds was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016.

Donalds was first elected to Congress in 2020, defeating his Democratic opponent Cindy Banyai. As a U.S. Representative, he voted to object to the certification of electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania in the 2020 presidential election, and supported the Repeal of the 2002 AUMF.

In the 2023 Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives election, Donalds obtained enough Republican votes to deny Kevin McCarthy the speakership in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds of voting.[8]

Early life and education

Donalds was born and raised in the Crown Heights neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.[9][10] One of three children, he was raised by his single mother.[9] In 1996, Donalds graduated from Nazareth Regional High School in East Flatbush.[11] He attended Florida A&M University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and marketing from Florida State University in 2002.[12][9]

In 1997, Donalds was arrested for marijuana distribution; the charges were dropped as part of a pre-trial diversion program. In 2000, he pleaded guilty to a felony bribery charge as part of a scheme to defraud a bank,[13] which was expunged after he entered the Florida House.

Career

Donalds and President Donald Trump in 2019 with a former inmate freed by the First Step Act
Before entering politics, Donalds worked in the finance, insurance, and banking industries.[2] He has worked at TIB Bank, CMG Life Services, and Moran Wealth in Naples, Florida.[9]

After Donalds became involved in the Tea Party movement, he was encouraged to run for office.[9]

In 2012, Donalds was a candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 19th congressional district. He finished fifth of six candidates.[14] In 2014, Donalds was reported as a likely candidate for the U.S. House in Florida's 19th congressional district after the resignation of Trey Radel, but decided against running.[14]

Donalds was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016. During his Florida House tenure, he chaired the Insurance and Banking Subcommittee.[15]

McCarthy-Luntz

Early life and education

McCarthy was born on January 26, 1965, in Bakersfield, California,[11] the son of Roberta Darlene (née Palladino),[12] a homemaker, and Owen McCarthy,[13][14] an assistant city fire chief.[15][16] McCarthy is a fourth-generation resident of Kern County. His maternal grandfather was an Italian immigrant, and his paternal grandfather was Irish.[17] McCarthy is the first Republican in his immediate family, as his parents were members of the Democratic Party.[18][19] He attended California State University, Bakersfield, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in marketing in 1989 and a Master of Business Administration in 1994.[20] During college, he worked as a seasonal firefighter for the Kern County Fire Department.[21]

(And, a car salesman...and, deli shop owner, for a brief stint.)

Early political career

McCarthy served on the staff of Congressman Bill Thomas from 1987 to 2002.[20] In 1995, he chaired the California Young Republicans. From 1999 to 2001, he chaired the Young Republican National Federation.[19] From the late 1990s until 2000, he was Thomas's district director.[20] McCarthy won his first election in 2000, as a Kern Community College District trustee.[20] Thomas has since criticized McCarthy in numerous interviews.[22]

McCarthy was elected to the California State Assembly in 2002.[20] He became the Republican floor leader in 2003.[20] He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2006.[20][23]

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