There are really only two possible reasons President Trump’s reelection campaign is now throwing itself into legal fights over the election. Either the president truly believes there were enough invalid ballots counted to cost him the election, or he simply doesn’t want to concede defeat until every avenue has been exhausted.
In the former case, the Trump campaign is right to head to the courts — you know, the place where liberals were most at home these past four years chasing the president’s tax returns and stopping or slowing every part of his policy agenda.
If it’s the second reason, the lasting impact of Trump simply delaying the inevitable with a bunch of baseless charges of fraud and cheating is only going to depress his supporters and puncture a Republican Party otherwise set up for political success in the near future.
Millions of Trump supporters right now have their hopes up that this election is still in play, even though most indications are that it’s not. Joe Biden appears to have an insurmountable lead in too many states. He’s ahead in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The Trump campaign has yet to present any convincing evidence that would either nullify a substantial number of ballots or add a substantial number of votes for himself.
How are Trump’s supporters supposed to feel if the campaign’s legal team is laughed out of court for lack of any compelling argument or evidence to support their claims? Betrayed? Fooled? Had? Taken for a ride? Given the run around?
How about all of the above? True, a substantial portion of Trump’s supporters appreciate the president’s relentless willingness to fight. But there is a cost to fighting, as this past year has proven. The price is exhaustion.
It’s not clear that Republicans can pay that price when two very important special elections are soon to take place in Georgia, which will decide the balance of power in the Senate.
Trump’s 2020 run showed other Republicans that when you have a compelling message, voters across all demographics will flock to support you. Trump raised his support in nearly every demographic, despite the media’s four-year all-out war against his campaign and his presidency.
Republicans can win the coming fight in Georgia, but they have to believe elections are worth it. Maybe the Trump campaign has the goods to prove that his own legal battles are worth it. If it doesn’t, there are consequences.
