Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., seems to want all the benefits of President Trump’s unorthodox approach to partisan politics without any of the potential costs.
Days before his easy Tuesday primary victory, the North Dakota Republican unloaded his frustrations to the Washington Post, complaining about Trump’s friendliness toward Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, the Democratic incumbent Cramer is hoping to unseat in November. Most of his frustrations seem to stem from the president’s decision to publicly thank Heitkamp at the signing of a bill she co-sponsored last month, giving the senator a solid photo opportunity as she fights to win re-election in a state that preferred Trump by 36 points in 2016.
The gesture did not please Cramer, who may never have run had not Trump personally prodded him to do so. According to the report, he contacted White House chief of staff John Kelly to air his grievances. “Have you ever watched the video? It’s obscene,” he told the Post in an interview, going so far as to “re-creat[e] Heitkamp’s movements and the setup of the room.”
The congressman theorized that Trump was taking it easy on Heitkamp because of her gender. “I do think there’s a little difference in that she’s a woman,” said Cramer. “That’s probably part of it — that she’s a, you know, a female. He doesn’t want to be that aggressive, maybe. I don’t know.” That’s a strange claim to make about Trump given that he famously (and savagely) defeated the first female presidential nominee from a major party.
No small part of Trump’s appeal stems from his unusual willingness to shed the conventions of partisan politics, speaking his mind more freely than do typical politicians. And that appeal is part of why he put up such big numbers in North Dakota, and part of why his popularity is an asset to Cramer’s bid. He’s willing to say nice things about people he likes, Republican or Democrat, when warranted, and has no interest in consulting advisers or outside groups before doing so. That’s appealing to voters.
From a political standpoint, of course, Cramer’s argument is solid, though his decision to complain about the president publicly comes across as sour grapes. Trump is so popular in North Dakota, even the Democratic candidate wants to connect herself to him, so the optics at the bill signing were certainly helpful to Heitkamp. But Trump has hardly lavished praise on Heitkamp, and it’s only June.
Indeed, during a string of tweets weighing in on key midterm races on Wednesday, Trump made his allegiances in North Dakota clear. “Congratulations to @KevinCramer on his huge win in North Dakota,” the presidented tweeted. “We need Kevin in the Senate, and I strongly endorse him. Heidi voted NO on our Tax Cuts, and always will vote no when we need her. Kevin is strong on Crime & Borders, big on Cutting Taxes!”
Whether or not Trump’s tweet was prompted by complaints from the congressman, it undercuts any of Heitkamp’s efforts to tie herself to the president. And I suspect he would have done it anyway. Trump wants a Senate majority, that much is abundantly clear. But he won’t abandon the same M.O. that brought him into office to secure it.
