OPINION: Connecticut GOP: Trump is coming for you
May 13—One Trump voter I know put traditional Republicans' 2023 Trump dilemma this way: "I wish he'd just die."
Indeed, anything short of an untimely Trump demise does seem to leave Connecticut Republicans in a tough spot, with the next round of statewide elections just a year off.
The Trump voter I know, like many others, did get some of what they wanted out of their unlikely and generally unlikable candidate.
Trump did, after all, make good on a lot of his promises to the various GOP constituencies: Tax cuts for the rich, the end of Roe v. Wade for the evangelicals and rising hate crimes and permissiveness for prejudice for white nationals.
Toss in a bone for Vladimir Putin. Trump did all he could do to weaken NATO and even now refuses to say he'd like to see Ukraine win the war started by Russia.
But, alas, even many of the Trump voters who got what they wanted understand that Trump is now leading a losing minority coalition that can never again ― despite some outlying polls to the contrary ― control Congress and the presidency.
Even with all the wild GOP gerrymandering around the country, the indicted Trump, who calls the insurrection he started Jan. 6 a "beautiful" thing, is destined to lose again because so many in the mainstream, like me, find him so reprehensible.
And I am more appalled than ever by those who still revere him.
I know there are many in the Connecticut Republican Party, like the Trump voter I know, who are chagrined that nothing ― not even a sexual abuse verdict against him ― will diminish the enthusiasm of his base or keep him from the GOP nomination and a long, messy rematch of his loss to President Biden.
It will be even harder in 2024 than it was in 2020 for Connecticut Republicans to put their fingers in their ears and keep humming, as Trump burns down their GOP house.
I can't think of a single prominent Connecticut Republican who has ever publicly called him out as the nasty, mean-spirited, racist, lying, misogynist monster that he is.
Trust me, a lot of them know it and dream of being able to say it out loud.
But they won't. There are a lot more Trumpists in Connecticut than I care to think about. And they hold mainstream Connecticut Republicans hostage.
Republican state Sen. Heather Somers of Groton, refused to participate in a traditional debate in her last reelection campaign because she said she didn't want to be distracted by "national" issues.
I read that to be her saying she didn't want to answer Trump questions.
Somers did break with some Trump-fearing Republicans recently when the former president was indicted in the payoff of a porn star scandal, saying the justice system should run its course. Hardly brave, but a step in the right direction.
But I think Connecticut Republicans are going to have to more decisively call out the evil consuming their party ― anti-Semites praising Hitler are suddenly under the GOP tent ― if they expect moderate mainstream voters to ever vote for them again.
Trump has already done a lot of harm to Connecticut Republicans, and he's just getting warmed up.
I think we are seeing the makings of a staggering win for Democrats all up and down the ballot in Connecticut in 2024.
This is the opinion of David Collins.
