Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) is incurring the wrath of former President Trump’s top allies after he urged voters to respect the verdict that saw Trump convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Hogan had largely been able to operate his Senate bid — trying to flip what was long considered an unflippable seat — in the deep blue state without interference from MAGA forces. But that changed with his comments, which sparked opposition from Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair Lara Trump and Chris LaCivita, Trump’s campaign manager, with other top allies warning that the ex-governor was making a big blunder (The Hill).
“I think it was a huge mistake,” said Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), who is being considered as Trump’s potential running mate. “When he says things that would alienate the majority of Republicans … I think it’s totally reasonable to criticize him.”
Biden’s poor polling numbers have raised questions about the possibility of a blowout victory by Trump in November, even as the former president grapples with his own political challenges. A blowout wouldn’t look like the landslide reelection of President Reagan in 1984, but it could mean Trump winning more Electoral College votes than expected by flipping most if not all of the states Biden won in 2020 — and even expanding the map by turning some unexpected states, like Minnesota or Virginia, red.