Dem
49
GOP
51
"It may be little, but that's no secret," you're saying right now. But that is not what we are talking about. Nope, we mean something else said at the now-infamous Madison Square Garden rally (see above). Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was there to participate, and also to remind everyone watching that he doesn't actually care about the values expressed in the Bible (if he did, he would not have remained on stage while the others spewed their bile). When Trump announced Johnson on stage, the former president said: "We can take the Senate pretty easily, and I think with our little secret we are gonna do really well with the House. Our little secret is having a big impact. He and I have a little secret—we will tell you what it is when the race is over."
It's not too hard to figure out what Trump is hinting at. And in case you are struggling to parse it, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) has you covered. Speaking to CNN, the Representative observed that there is no presidential reason for Trump and Johnson to go to New York, since that state's electoral votes are a lost cause. However, there are, of course, many House seats in New York that could go either way. Trump's message is pretty clearly: "Elect as many Republicans to the House as possible, so they can help us 'win' the election in January."
Over the weekend, Johnson was asked exactly what Trump was talking about, and what secret he and Trump have cooked up. For about 24 hours, the Speaker refused to answer that question. Eventually, when it was clear that the story was not going away, he told reporters that the secret is "not diabolical" and it is about the Republicans' GOTV operation. That Ninth-Commandment-violating statement (thou shalt not bear false witness) does not come close to passing the smell test. First, the Republicans' GOTV effort this year is notoriously inept. Second, that is doubly true in a non-swing-state like New York. Third, if it was something this benign, then why would Johnson refuse to say so for more than 24 hours?
That said, while it is worth pointing out, this may still be a nothingburger. First, even if there is a scheme, Trump and his underlings have shown themselves to be particularly incapable when it comes to successfully executing their chicanery. Second, it's entirely possible Trump was just talking out his rear end, because he likes stirring the pot. Let's hope so. (Z)