With another round of GOP primaries last night comes another round of Trump losses. Yesterday, South Dakota Sen. John Thune handily won victory over his primary challengers despite Trump declaring his political career “over” for certifying Biden’s win in the 2020 election.
In Montana, disgraced former Trump cabinet member Ryan Zinke looks to be ahead of his top challenger by a single point as the race in the newly drawn Congressional district remains too close to call. The coveted endorsement from his former boss seems to have done little to clear the field for Zinke, who previously served in the House.
Furthermore, five of the 35 House Republicans who voted to establish the Jan. 6 commission had primary races yesterday, and despite Trump’s vow to exact revenge, only one was forced into a runoff, while two won with more than 57% of the vote, one appears set to advance to the general election in November, and one ran uncontested.
And Trump ally and potential 2024 primary opponent Kristi Noem suffered a setback when the ballot measure she supported to restrict other ballot measures was defeated in a landslide.
Throughout this primary season, it’s become clear that Trump’s kingmaker status is a myth, as sliding poll numbers and surging challengers have rocked his claim to be leader of the GOP.
Read the coverage:
NPR: Trump’s record is split in South Dakota Republican primaries
Politico: Politico Playbook: A bad night for California progressives and Donald Trump
Business Insider: Trump allies failed to get revenge on several Republicans who won their primaries despite opposing him
Published: Jun 8, 2022