Can President Trump be the Next “Comeback Kid?” – “The Sunday Political Brunch” March 7, 2021

Can President Trump be the Next “Comeback Kid?” – “The Sunday Political Brunch” March 7, 2021

It’s been a crazy week with former President Trump making his first public appearance since leaving office, at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Committee. At the same time, there was a big battle in Congress over the latest COVID-19 aid bill backed by President Biden.  And there were concerns about another violent attack on the Capitol. We have a lot to “brunch” on this week!

 

“The Comeback?” – Former President Trump addressed CPAC on Sunday alluding to 2024. "And then a Republican president will make a triumphant return to the White House. And I wonder who that will be. I wonder who that will be. Who, who, who will that be, I wonder?" Trump rejected the idea of running as a third-party candidate, so he’s clearly in the 2024 mix.

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“The Comeback Kid” – In 1992, Gov. Bill Clinton (D) Arkansas got crushed badly in the Iowa Caucus. Then he faced a mountain of bad press over an alleged affair, and his efforts to avoid the draft during the Vietnam War. But Clinton campaigned very aggressively and surged into a strong second-place finish in the New Hampshire Primary, and then dubbed himself the “comeback kid.” It stuck and he went on to win the nomination and presidency. Whether Trump can mount a similar comeback remains to be seen.

 

“Making Friends?” – In 2022, Republicans have a very real chance of regaining control of the Senate, and even the House, but here’s what Trump said at CPAC: "The Democrats don't have grandstanders like Mitt Romney, little Ben Sasse, Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Toomey -- and in the House, Tom Rice, South Carolina, Adam Kinzinger, Dan Newhouse, Anthony Gonzalez, that's another beauty, Fred Upton, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Peter Meijer, John Katko, David Valadao, and of course, the warmonger, a person that loves seeing our troops fighting, Liz Cheney. How about that?" Call this the “reverse coattail” effect!” The Republican National Committee must be furious. Trump is essentially campaigning against these Republicans who are key to retaking control of both the House and Senate. Wow!

 

“Post CPAC Poll” – As it does every year, CPAC polled its members on their preferred candidate for president in the next election. Trump got a bare majority with 55 percent of the vote. Karl Rove, a top political operative for former President George W. Bush, said it was not a good sign for Trump. “This is the truest Trump believers,” Rove told Fox News. “And for him to only get 55 percent says he is losing strength because he’s not introducing something new. He’s losing strength whether he recognizes it.”

 

“King Manchin” – As we reported a few weeks ago, Senator Joe Manchin (D) West Virginia has emerged as one of the most powerful figures in American politics. As the Senate’s most conservative Democrat, Manchin held up Friday’s vote on the latest COVID-19 relief bill by siding with the Republican’s unemployment weekly supplement at $300 instead of the Democrats preferred $400. The $300 version passed in the wee hours of the morning.

 

“Handsy Andy” – It hasn’t been the best of years for Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) New York. First, his top aides were accused of undercounting COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by more than nine thousand. Now at least three different women have come forward, saying he made inappropriate sexual comments and engaged in unwelcomed touching. While some high-level fellow Democrats have called on him to resign, he says he won’t. Cuomo’s presidential ambitions may be tarnished, but remember Bill Clinton and Donald Trump survived similar behavior and got elected anyway.

 

“Another Capitol Attack on March 4, 2021?” – Thank God, it did not come to be. There were reports (based on intelligence), that there was going to be another storming of the U.S. Capitol, this week on March 4th, just as we saw on January 6th. March 4th was the original inauguration date for presidents, so it was symbolic. There were a lot of warnings and precautions, but it never happened. That’s great, but we’ve also learned there was plenty of intelligence and advanced warning before the January 6th Capitol riot. So why weren’t we better prepared? The reaction was that we were surprised by the attack. I’m calling BS. People said the same about 9-11. We knew in advance that an attack was likely on January 6th, yet critical intelligence was not shared between law enforcement and the Pentagon in a timely manner. You can’t plead ignorance here.

 

Have you picked a preferred GOP candidate for president in 2024? Let us know by clicking the comment button!

 

Mark Curtis, Ed.D. is Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations serving West Virginia, its five neighboring states and all of the Washington, DC media market. He is a MINDSETTER columnist for www.GoLocalProv.com and all of its affiliates.