A significant number of Republicans that are in office or who have served in office along with GOP political operatives had pledged to never support President-elect Donald Trump during this election. Now Trump is America’s next President, so what are they going to do?
For elected Republicans, the tough talk has ceased. Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham voted for independent Evan McMullin and has previously called Trump a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.”
In a statement following Trump’s election, Graham wrote, “We have wars to win, threats to be dealt with, and a stagnant economy which must be revived. To the extent that I can help President-elect Trump, I will do so.”
A similar tone was struck by another NeverTrumper Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins. “My hope is that President-elect Trump will focus on issues that unite us and that together we can usher in an era of accomplishment. I pledge to work with him in that effort,” Collins said.
The tone of these Republican senators is shockingly similar to staunch liberals such as Democratic Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi. She said in a statement, “As President-elect Trump indicated last night, investing in infrastructure is an important priority of his. We can work together to quickly pass a robust infrastructure jobs bill.”
NeverTrumpers who are out of elected office, however, have taken a more combative tone since Trump was elected. Rick Wilson, a veteran Republican political operative who helped lead McMullin’s campaign, told The Daily Caller that as of now he is still in the Republican Party.
Wilson said though that there is “a real question if the values of Donald Trump become the values of the Republican Party. And if they do then there are a lot of people of good faith and good conscience who are going to have to take a hard look at if they will remain in that party, and if that party represents conservatism not just the ‘Trumpism’ version of it.”
Wilson described himself as a conservative before he is a Republican. McMullin wrote a piece in The Washington Post Wednesday that said, “conservatives must now abandon the Republican Party.”
Louise Mensch, a McMullin supporter and prominent Trump-hater, spewed Russian-Trump conspiracy theories in the aftermath of the New York real estate developer’s victory. She tweeted that she hopes Russia releases a sex-tape of Trump having an orgy that they own for blackmail.
Tim Miller, a former Jeb Bush aide, did not respond to a press inquiry about whether he will stay in the GOP and try to unite the party. Miller did say last night however, “Donald fucking trump is on pace to be the president right now.”
Miller’s former employer, who told Trump “you can’t insult your way to the presidency,” tweeted, “Congratulations on your victory [Donald Trump]. As our President, Columba and I will pray for you in the days and months to come.”