More Prominent Republicans Join ‘Anybody But Trump’ Movement, Questioning Donald Trump’s Electability And Character
For all of the enthusiasm among a rather ardent base of GOP true believers, presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to strike a sour note with key members of his own party. A growing number of past and present Republican leaders are coming forward to dissuade voters from supporting the billionaire-turned-politician in his effort to land the party’s nomination at the forthcoming convention in July.
Most recently, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has publicly announced that he will not support Donald Trump should the businessman go head-to-head against the Democratic nominee in the general election this November. In an interview for the Associated Press, Hogan said he did not think that Trump should be the Republican nominee, adding that he has yet to make up his mind who he will vote for in the 2016 presidential election. His comments were re-published by the New York Times.
“I don’t even want to be involved … It’s a mess. I hate the whole thing. I don’t think we have the best candidates in either party that are being put up. I don’t like the dialogue. I don’t like the things that are going on, and I’m sick of talking about it, because it’s not anything I have anything to do with.”
Last year, Hogan endorsed Chris Christie in his bid for president, calling the New Jersey Governor “the leader we need,” as reported by MSNBC. Christie dropped out of the race in February after disappointing showings in early primaries. He later shocked his peers and pundits alike when he endorsed Donald Trump for president.
Governor Larry Hogan joins at least two other Republican governors, Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Charlie Barker of Massachusetts, in saying that he will not support Donald Trump as the Republican nominee. Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska has also indicated he will not support Trump.
As previously noted by Inquisitr, former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu is a key figure in the Republican establishment’s ongoing effort to derail Donald Trump’s fast track to the GOP nomination.
Mitt Romney, who ran as the Republican candidate in 2012, has emerged as a de facto leader of the “Anybody But Trump” movement since issuing a bluntly-worded indictment of the real estate mogul in early March. Romney and Trump have sparred via social media since then, and Romney has appealed to voters to support John Kasich and Marco Rubio in subsequent primary elections and he recently announced he would cast a vote for Ted Cruz in the Utah caucuses. Cruz ultimately won the Utah contest, and some pundits have suggested that Trump’s overt hostility towards Romney cost him the support of many Mormon voters.
The Republican effort to thwart Donald Trump shows signs of coalescing, to be sure. But it is not clear at this point in the election cycle whether GOP faithful will unite around a single candidate like Ted Cruz or John Kasich before the specter of a “contested convention” comes to bear. According to the New York Times, top Republicans have apparently decided on a 100-day campaign to block Donald Trump from winning the nomination, beginning with the Wisconsin primary on April 5. Aggregate polling data from Real Clear Politics presently shows Donald Trump with a slight lead over Ted Cruz in that race.
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