Trump’s Grip on the Republican Party Faces 3 Big Tests in May
Donald Trump's influence over the Republican Party faces three key tests in May's primary elections, particularly in Indiana and Kentucky, where intra-party battles reveal tensions between traditional conservatives and the MAGA movement. In Indiana, Trump is spending heavily to oust state senators who defied his push for aggressive redistricting, while in Kentucky, Representative Thomas Massie faces a Trump-backed challenger despite his conservative record. These contests may signal whether GOP loyalty remains rooted in ideology or personal allegiance to Trump.
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This article is part of The D.C. Brief, TIME’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox.It’s been an article of faith that Donald Trump has a vise-like grip on his Republican Party. Those who defied him found themselves vanquished. Rare was the candidate he opposed who could weather his contempt: Gov. Brian Kemp survived in Georgia, where he tested his supremacy over the MAGA wing of the party in 2022; Sen. Lisa Murkowski defeated a ranked-choice challenge from a fellow Republican and Trump-backed contender that year; Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina prevailed in a Trump-led primary against her then, too.But, by and large, a Trump blessing has been more than sufficient to sideline heretics to the cult of Trumpism.
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