MSNBC Contributor Charlie Sykes said Monday that “2022 is going to be a Republican Civil War” when he spoke about former President Donald Trump’s acquittal.
“There is a gap between the institutional Republican Party led by Mitch McConnell, which has decided to move on from Trump, and the base, which for the moment I think is sticking with Donald Trump,” Sykes, the founder and editor-at-large at The Bulwark, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“But 2022 is going to be a Republican Civil War. And I think they’re going to have a problem with the general elections if they continue down this path,” he continued.
The Senate voted 57-43 on Saturday in favor of acquitting Trump during his second impeachment trial.
The House previously voted 232-197 on Jan. 13 to impeach the former president again, charging him with a single article of “incitement of insurrection.” (RELATED: These Seven Republicans Voted To Convict Trump In Senate Impeachment Trial)
“First of all, Lindsey Graham is determined to become a punch line in American history, isn’t he? But, look, this is going to be the defining face of the Republican Party going, going forward,” Sykes said.
Sykes agreed with Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and said if the GOP’s character leans more towards Trump, they will keep losing voters, which resulted in their loss of the House and Senate.
Sykes speculated that the GOP will also lose a large number “of moderate, reasonable principled Republicans.”
The MSNBC contributor said he believes Trump will start “a revenge tour,” adding division to the GOP. Sykes also said Senate Minority Leader McConnell’s speech “was clearly two faced, it was clearly hypocritical,” but sent out a message that the former president “may have been acquitted, but he was not exonerated, that he is still deeply damaged.”
Sykes added that the majority of Republicans, minus Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham stepped in or commended the former president.
“He’s damaged goods. So it’s going to be somewhat difficult for them. They will be able to do it though because this is who they are. To turn around and say, ‘Yes, but we support Donald Trump. We think he is good for the country. Maybe we should have four more years.’ So this is going to be an interesting test for this political party here,” Sykes said.
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