Jul.23

electoral-vote.com

Dem 51

   

GOP 49

Meet the Flip-Flop Club

More than half a dozen prominent Republicans originally were strongly opposed to Donald Trump and said so very loudly. Then they felt which way the wind was blowing and changed their tune. It is amazing. Here is a sample:

• Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX):
  
  Then: "Donald Trump's consistently disgraceful behavior is beneath the office we are seeking and we are not going to follow." And "This man is a pathological liar. He doesn't know the difference between truth and lies."
  
  Now: "God bless Donald J. Trump. And let me start by giving thanks to God almighty for protecting President Trump and for turning his head on Saturday as the shot was fired." And "Here's the good news: We can fix it. And when Donald Trump is president, we will fix it. We know this because he's done it before."
  
  
• Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL):
  
  Then: "You can be the most worthless Republican in America, but if you kiss the ring, he'll say you're wonderful. You can be the strongest, most dynamic, successful Republican and conservative in America, but if you don't kiss that ring, then he'll try to trash you."
  
  Now: "Life was more affordable when Donald Trump was president. Our border was safer under the Trump administration, and our country was respected when Donald Trump was our commander in chief."
  
  
• Nikki Haley:
  
  Then: "How many more times do we have to lose before we realize that he is the problem? He lost in 2018. He lost in 2020. He lost in '22. And he lost last week. This is a pattern that's going to lead us to a President Kamala Harris if we don't change course."
  
  Now: "When Donald Trump was president, Putin did nothing. No invasions. No wars. That was no accident. Putin didn't attack Ukraine because he knew Donald Trump was tough. A strong president doesn't start wars. A strong president prevents wars."
  
  
• Vivek Ramaswamy:
  
  Then: "What Trump did last week [inciting the Jan. 6 riot] was wrong. Downright abhorrent. Plain and simple."
  
  Now: "There is one more reason I'm going to ask you to vote Trump, and it's the most important one. It's the one the media won't talk about, but it's the truth. Donald Trump is the president who will actually unite this country, not through empty words, but through action."
  
  
• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL):
  
  Then: "He runs on this idea that he is fighting for the little guy. But he has spent his entire career sticking it to the little guy."
  
  Now: "By giving voice to everyday Americans, President Trump has not just transformed our party, he has inspired a movement. A movement of the people who grow our food and drive our trucks, the people who make our cars and build our homes, the people whose taxes fund our government, and whose children fight our wars."
  
  
• Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY):
  
  Then: "I think in the presidential field, there are some candidates—who over the long run and they've already started this process—are somewhat disqualifying themselves with untruthful statements."
  
  Now: "President Trump will bring back moral leadership to the White House, condemning antisemitism and standing strong with Israel and the Jewish people. President Trump will once again deliver the most secure border in our nation's history and unleash the American economy, and he will bring peace through strength as commander in chief, standing with our allies and causing our enemies to fear us. President Trump has done it before and he will do it again."
  
  
• JD Vance:
  
  Then: "I'm a Never Trump guy. I never liked him." and "I think that I'm going to vote third-party because I can't stomach Trump. I think that he's noxious and is leading the white working class to a very dark place."
  
  Now: "For the last eight years, President Trump has given everything he has to fight for the people of our country. He didn't need politics, but the country needed him."
  

The Democrats will certainly consider an ad campaign in which the ads are comprised entirely of people who are current Trumpers saying bad things about Trump. They might pair those ads with compilations of clips from people who worked with Trump in his first administration, and say he's awful/stupid/corrupt. (V)