President Donald Trump has reportedly discussed the idea of creating a new political party, according to a Tuesday evening report from The Wall Street Journal.
Sources familiar with the matter told the WSJ that the president discussed the potential of starting a third party with close aides and associates.
The name of the party would be the “Patriot Party,” the WSJ reported. The White House had declined comment at the time the report was released, and it was unclear whether the president was serious or simply discussing the possibility as a hypothetical.
Though Trump’s support base has remained steady, he leaves office with the lowest approval rating of any president in modern history. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans have openly blamed the president for inciting and failing to adequately respond to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
![Supporters of US President Donald Trump clash with the US Capitol police during a riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. - Donald Trump's supporters stormed a session of Congress held January 6 to certify Joe Biden's election win, triggering unprecedented chaos and violence at the heart of American democracy and accusations the president was attempting a coup. (Photo by ALEX EDELMAN / AFP) (Photo by ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images)](https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/GettyImages-1230486822-scaled.jpg)
Supporters of US President Donald Trump clash with the US Capitol police during a riot at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Photo by ALEX EDELMAN / AFP) (Photo by ALEX EDELMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The House of Representatives voted 232-197 to impeach Trump last Wednesday. Ten Republicans voted in favor of impeachment.
Both McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is set to become majority leader as soon as the incoming Georgia senators are sworn in, have promised to bring the matter to a vote in the Senate. It would take 17 Republican senators along with every Democratic senator in order to convict Trump, which would bar him from holding public office regardless of party. (RELATED: Steve Schmidt Says ‘No Forgiveness’ For Republicans Who Supported Election Challenges: ‘Their Shame Will Last Forever’)
Other than playing the occasional spoiler, third parties have historically failed to make major waves in national elections, although Ross Perot’s Reform Party recorded almost 19% of the vote in 1992, the best showing since former President Teddy Roosevelt’s “Bull Moose” Progressive Party scored 27% in 1912.