Johnson, Other GOPers: It’s ‘ Too Early’ To Talk About Backing Trump In 2020

UNITED STATES - JANUARY 27: Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., speaks with reporters following the Senate Republicans' policy lunch on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), along with a slew of other Republicans interviewed by CNN, dodged questions about whether President Donald Trump had their support in the next presidential election, with Johnson claiming it’s “way too early” to talk Trump 2020.

“Chris, you know it’s way too early to be talking about 2020,” he said Thursday, responding to CNN’s Chris Cuomo. “It could be a completely different world in 2020. We have a 2018 election first. So, you know, listen, I understand the kind of ’gotcha’ question you’re engaging here. But it’s just way too early to even be talking about it.”

Johnson’s not alone, according to CNN’s Manu Raju, who said Thursday he interviewed more than two dozen lawmakers — including Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) — who were all either uncertain about whether Trump would run or said it was too early to offer blanket support for the President. This comes despite Trump’s clear reelection fundraising and campaign rallies.

Outgoing Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) — a vocal Trump critic — took his party’s loose support for the President even further, telling CNN Thursday morning that it “very questionable” if Trump even runs in 2020.

“I have no idea who’s going to run for president in 2020 and I’m not about to say who I will support for that, so we have no idea who’s going to run,” Corker said. “Whether the President runs again or not is questionable, candidly.”

“Why wouldn’t he?” CNN’s Alisyn Camerota asked.

“I don’t know, why would he?” Corker said.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Congressional support so shallow you couldn’t drown a mouse in it. Sad!

  2. Avatar for sanni sanni says:

    I have to begrudgingly admit, I am starting to (at least a little bit) appreciate Sen. Corker.

    “I have no idea who’s going to run for president in 2020 and I’m not about
    to say who I will support for that, so we have no idea who’s going to
    run,” Corker said. “Whether the President runs again or not is
    questionable, candidly.”

    “Why wouldn’t he?” CNN’s Alisyn Camerota asked.

    “I don’t know, why would he?” Corker said.

  3. These folks have blinders on. The country has never had a POTUS who has this much criminal baggage and links to organized crime. Trump and the GOP won’t politically survive this.

  4. Shouldn’t the title of the article be something like “Rats Squeak While Running Down Mooring Lines to Pier.”

  5. Asking a politician if he would support his party’s president in the next election is a gotcha question now? Must be right up there with “what magazines and newspapers do you read?”

    Tells me, though, that they don’t want to go on the record saying they support him. Very interesting.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

49 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for robb_ludwig Avatar for butlerknights Avatar for ncsteve Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for glblank Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for bluinmaine Avatar for gtomkins Avatar for thebigragu Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for stradivarius50t3 Avatar for shystr Avatar for ottnott Avatar for robcat2075 Avatar for jeffrey Avatar for tena Avatar for boisdevache Avatar for marcc1213 Avatar for rickjones Avatar for khyber900 Avatar for groundloop Avatar for rascal_crone

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: