Kevin McCarthy’s trip shows House Republicans see the path back to power is with Donald Trump

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Minority parliamentary leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday became the last in a parade of Republicans to make the pilgrimage to Trump-owned property in search of support from the former president, while dozens of GOP candidates marched on Thursday. relied on Trump’s name and image to increase their campaign coffers, which are filling at an record rate.

The constant stream of chatter from top Republicans and the surge of popular support suggests that, six months after the deadly insurgency on Capitol Hill, Trump still maintains an iron grip on the GOP and there is no sign of loosening any time soon. – even in the midst of a damning drop of revelation about his conduct during his final months in office.

And with Republicans counting on Trump to be a crucial pillar in their efforts to reclaim a majority in the House next year, both in terms of fundraising and attendance, they are keen to stay in his good graces and reluctant to damage or provoke the mercurial ex-president over the next 16 months – especially as the Jan.6 probe heats up, which Trump will no doubt be watching closely.

“He’s still the biggest Republican pound dog among the base,” Rep. Tim Burchett, a Republican from Tennessee, said, referring to Trump.

Of course, tying the party so tightly to Trump also comes with risks. Much of the battle for the House will take place in the suburban battlefield neighborhoods where moderates and independents have fled the party under Trump. Not to mention that the GOP lost the House, the Senate and the White House under Trump’s watch.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has taken a decidedly different approach towards Trump, being careful to avoid talking about the ex-president even as Trump promises to play a role in several key contests.

But for the most part, Republicans see a lot more political benefit in keeping Trump at the forefront.

“Leader McCarthy’s relationship with President Trump is an asset to the GOP as we all work together to reclaim the majority,” said GOP Representative Jodey Arrington of Texas.

Representative David Valadao, a Californian Republican who voted to impeach Trump and backed an independent commission on Jan.6, added: “McCarthy is always going to do what he thinks is right for the whole caucus, so I do him trust.”

“Lots of things to discuss! “

A sign that Trump is eager to show he’s still in charge, it was he who announced Thursday’s reunion at his New Jersey golf club – not McCarthy. “Lots of things to discuss!” Trump said in a brief statement ahead of the meeting.

The purpose of their caucus was to talk about midterms, including vulnerable House Democrats, upcoming special elections and fundraising numbers, according to a GOP source familiar with the meeting. McCarthy had previously been in New Jersey for Republican congressional candidate Tom Kean this week.

Afterwards, McCarthy made it clear that Trump would be at the heart of their efforts to overthrow the House and called their conversation “productive.”

“As the midterm elections approach, I look forward to working together to build on our success in 2020, where House Republicans overturned 15 seats, lost no incumbents and elected the most. women in conference history, ”McCarthy said in a statement. “I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to helping House Republicans defeat Democrats and take the House back in 2022.”

But the meeting – the second meeting of this type of McCarthy since Trump stepped down – also came at a critical time for the California Republican: McCarthy weighs his choices for a select committee to investigate the murderous pro riot. -Trump on Capitol Hill, however a GOP source said the issue did not arise on Thursday.

There is enormous pressure on McCarthy to nominate GOP members who can mount a vigorous defense of Trump. During his first impeachment, Trump made it clear who he wanted to fight for him. McCarthy ultimately called on Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican and staunch Trump ally, for a leading role in defending the then president.

But with the select committee, McCarthy is trying to strike a delicate balance between Trump’s henchmen and more serious members who might have more credibility with Central America. While McCarthy has publicly stated that he has not decided who to nominate – or even whether to nominate someone – to the panel, sources expect he will have Republican members in place before the premiere. committee hearing July 27.

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By further upping the stakes for McCarthy, Democrats have made it clear that both he and Trump may be called upon to testify before the select committee. The conduct of the Congressional inquiry could earn McCarthy a bunch of notes or criticism from Trump, which could factor into any future speaker race.

McCarthy isn’t the only senior Republican to have sought to stay on Trump’s good side. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana visited Mar-a-Lago earlier this year, while newly-elected House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik of New York and members of the Conservative Republican Study Committee both made separate trips recently to Trump’s Golf Club in Bedminster to elevate cash-and-talk campaign medium-term strategy.

Democrats, however, presented Thursday’s meeting as another example of the GOP’s unwavering loyalty to Trump, accusing Republicans of wanting to look the other way when it comes to the ex-president – and in some even case of downplaying the deadly events of January. 6 – to stimulate their own political perspectives.

“House Democrats are the party of monthly child tax credit payments that help working and middle class families. The radical right continues to bow its knee to Donald Trump,” House Speaker said Democratic Caucus, Hakeem Jeffries from New York.

Trump, the cash cow

One of the reasons Republicans have hugged Trump is because they see him as a gold mine for fundraising for their party – and there is evidence to suggest that this may be true.

McCarthy and the House GOP campaign arm both recently released record fundraisers, overtaking their Democratic counterparts in the race for money. The minority leader raised $ 43.6 million in the first half of 2021, including $ 16.5 million in the second quarter, his office said on Wednesday. And the Congressional Republican National Committee raked in $ 45.4 million in the second quarter of 2021, the most it has ever raised in three months of a year without an election.

Meanwhile, many Republican lawmakers have filled their war coffers using Trump’s name and image in their fundraising appeals. On Trump’s birthday, for example, Scalise asked his supporters in a campaign email to wish the former president good luck.

First-year Rep. Lauren Boebert, meanwhile, used her recent trip to the border with Trump to raise funds, with the Colorado Republican saying in an email that she was “LIVE from the border” with the former president and “Trump asked me to be here.” Another freshman, Representative Byron Donalds from Florida, has attached a photo of him and Trump thumbing up in a fundraising pitch.

Mike Carey, a Republican candidate for an Ohio House seat, recently launched a fundraising email touting his endorsement of Trump with the subject line: “President Trump says ‘YES’.”

Taken together, these Trump-focused fundraising emails show how Republicans fully embrace the former president in their quest to raise money and overthrow control of the House next year.

“People still love the president. So if he’s involved we’ll be successful,” said Rep. Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas, when asked about Trump’s ability to help the GOP raise funds.

CNN’s Annie Grayer, Ryan Nobles and Lauren Fox contributed to this reporting.

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