ALBUQUERQUE — The Republican Party was set to reaffirm support for President Trump in 2020, an unusual move that is quietly dividing GOP insiders between those anxious about possible primary challengers and others concerned about feeding a false narrative of vulnerability.
Resistance to Trump and noise about upending his renomination has motivated certain members of the Republican National Committee, the party’s governing body, to push a nonbinding resolution expressing the GOP’s commitment to the president in the 2020 primary, typically presumed for an incumbent. The RNC is expected to approve one of two proposals, or some combination, when it meets this week at a posh New Mexico resort for an annual business meeting.
But there is apprehension, especially among veteran RNC members. They’re expected to back the resolution without protest. Debate over the language, if any, is likely to be muted. Privately, however, the naysayers are grumbling that the resolution spotlights a political liability that doesn’t exist and a primary threat that might never materialize. Trump is in a strong position, they argue, and as the incumbent, commands the Republican Party and its infrastructure.
“The party is frustrated by what is perceived to be biased and unfair coverage from the mainstream media. This coverage encourages challengers and may be giving the false hope that the party or grassroots might not be there for him,” former RNC member Saul Anuzis said in explaining why resolution was going to move.
“This is an RNC that was not that pro-Trump going through the last nominating process. They have virtually all come on board and I believe are unanimously behind him,” added Anuzis, who keeps in touch with his old colleagues on the committee.
[Opinion: The challenge for any 2020 primary challenge to Trump]
Trump enjoys overwhelming grassroots support and would begin any Republican primary heavily favored.
But RNC rules open the door to a challenger winning enough votes to have their name placed in nomination on the convention floor in Charlotte in 2020. That, and recent activities by prominent Trump critics, drove some party insiders connected to the RNC to propose taking action to protect Trump from renegade Republicans when the party meets, beginning Wednesday, for its winter meeting.
Trump certainly took notice of the effort.
Jevon Williams, an RNC member from the U.S. Virgin Islands, is the primary sponsor of a proposed resolution declaring GOP loyalty to Trump. On Monday, Williams tweeted out a picture of a note he received from the president thanking him for his support. Trump, as is his habit, hand signed copies of a couple of the news stories about Williams’ push for the RNC to make clear the party backs him over any Republican challenger.
In an email to fellow voting members of the RNC urging support for his resolution, Williams suggested that opposition to the proposal would be akin to fighting against Trump’s re-election.
“We must send the message that we support President Trump for re-nomination. Simply stating our support for his presidency, as some would have us do, is not enough,” said Williams, who worked with senior party officials to amend his original draft and ensure his proposal did not run afoul of GOP rules or create unintended political headaches for the Trump campaign.
Many RNC members would have preferred the issue not be raised at all, insisting the resolution is counterproductive. By urgently pressing the RNC to provide more cover for Trump, Williams and his cohorts are insinuating that the president is in trouble.
“We really don’t need any resolution saying we support the president because that’s a given,” said an RNC member, who requested anonymity in order to speak candidly.
But whether because of the Mueller investigation or another issue, some Republicans contend that the party has to be prepared for the possibility that it will have no choice but to hold a contested primary.
