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DALLAS – Senator Rick Scott this weekend avoided addressing directly the efforts of former President Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr. to stimulate the main challengers of outgoing GOP senators whom they see as insufficiently loyal to the GOP. former president, saying he planned to support the incumbents but not play in the primaries.
Scott, R-Fla., In an interview with Fox News at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, also discussed how Senate Republicans will approach critical race theory in their election against Democrats in 2022.
As chairman of the National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC), Scott is tasked with trying to win back a majority in the Senate for the GOP as he faces a less than ideal electoral map halfway through. The Republicans play defense in 20 seats against 14 for the Democrats.
Trump Jr. has previously indicated that he plans to attack anti-Trump Republicans in the primaries. And he explained this to CPAC, telling Fox News on Saturday that he will “have a lot of fun” campaigning against “useful idiots for the left” – that is, Republicans who voted for the dismissal of the former president.
Senator Rick Scott, R-Fla., Speaks to Fox News at CPAC Dallas. Scott has said that “hardy” primary races can be good for the party and that he will not support any candidates in the contested GOP Senate primaries. (Tyler Olson / Fox News)
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“Someone has to call him,” added Trump Jr.
When asked if such comments and party battles were productive, Scott did not directly respond to what Trump Jr. said and reiterated his previous position that he supported the incumbents but would not support the contested primaries. But he said he believed “robust” intra-party challenges could be good for the party.
“As chairman of the National Republican Senate Committee, I will not be supporting the primaries, I will help our outgoing senators win their elections, which I think they will all do,” Scott said. “But what I want to do is we’re going to have strong primaries, we’re going to bring out the best candidate that voters in this state want, and what’s going to happen is we’re going to have a big ’22. ”
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The former president has already endorsed a Senate challenger to a Republican candidate – Kelly Tshibaka, who is running against Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.
“Lisa Murkowski is bad for Alaska. Her vote to confirm Home Secretary Biden was a vote to kill jobs long sought and approved by the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and jobs in Alaska.” Trump said in a statement last month. “Kelly Tshibaka is the candidate who can beat Murkowski, and she will. Kelly is a fighter who stands up for the values of Alaska and America First.”
Donald Trump Jr. speaks to Fox News Digital at CPAC Dallas. Trump Jr. said he would “have a lot of fun” stimulating the main challengers of incumbent Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump. (Paul Steinhauser / Fox News)
It almost seems certain that Trump will support more such challengers in the months to come.
Scott also said Republicans would stress that “America is not a racist country” in the 2022 election as critical race theory in schools has become a hot topic from local school boards to governors’ residences. .
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“We respect and admire our founders,” added Scott. “We’re going to make sure we teach everyone that it’s a great country, we’re not going to be defensive about our past, we’re going to say we’re constantly improving.”
Despite the Senate’s difficult map, many believe that taking over the Senate is a reasonable goal for Republicans, especially given the chamber’s narrow margin and the fact that the first term after a president takes office is usually difficult for the ruling party.
Scott predicted to CPAC that Republicans would overthrow four Democratic Senate seats. The most likely seats at stake for Republicans are Senators Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., And Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., The four plus Moderate states with Democrats for reelection in 2022. Senator Maggie Hassan, DN.H., could also be vulnerable if Republicans have a solid year.
With a 50-50 margin in the chamber, Republicans can regain a majority if they get only one Senate seat.
Fox Nation was a sponsor of CPAC 2021: America Uncanled.
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