House Republicans have had Donald Trump's back at every turn. When they were still in the majority, they did his bidding on health care repeal (though it stalled in the Senate), on tax cuts for the rich and wealthy, and particularly on the Russia probe. As Robert Mueller's team silently worked its investigation, House Republicans eagerly compromised national security to skewer and undermine the probe at every turn.
But now that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is looking for money to help his caucus stay competitive with Democrats this cycle, the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee (RNC) are nowhere to be found.
McCarthy has begged the RNC for financial help "multiple times," according to The Washington Post, and he's also directly asked grifter-in-law Jared Kushner for a donation from the Trump campaign. But while the RNC and the Trump campaign are both awash in cash, none of it is headed toward the House GOP.
Of course, Trump's plummeting approvals are a big part of the reason House Republicans are in such a predicament. Trump has virtually ensured that whatever slim chance they had of reclaiming the majority is entirely dead now. And that's exactly why Kushner—who has extra sway with both the campaign and the RNC—has so far left them to fend for themselves.
Trump's campaign committees and the RNC started the month with $295 million cash on hand, more than twice what Barack Obama had at this time in 2012, according to the Post.
RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel claimed that no final decisions had been made and, presumably, the organization has some investment in not letting House Republicans take such a beating that they'll spend the next decade clawing their way back.
But Trump and Kushner are a whole different beast. Even Trump seems to see himself as a short-timer and, frankly, when have they ever given away money to anyone or anything? Even Trump's now-defunct charity was never anything more than a front for money-laundering. They've also never been long-ball hitters for the Republican Party, so they have no allegiance to its well-being, particularly if they might not be around in several months.
“The campaign just wants the money. . . . They don’t care about the House — it’s not their concern,” one official close to the Trump campaign told the Post.
What's even better is that dozens of House Republicans who are cruising to reelection have contributed money from their campaign committees to Trump's reelection—at his request. It's rather unusual, actually, since presidents usually labor to help their congressional counterparts rather than the other way around. And yet, the House GOP can't squeeze a penny out of him.
Topping it all off, Democrats are crushing the House GOP in fundraising, putting them in position to actually grow their majority this fall. "The DCCC’s 42 most-vulnerable front-line members have an average 5-to-1 cash advantage over their GOP opponents. Additionally, 30 Democratic challengers out-raised their Republican foes in the second quarter of 2020, putting the party in a prime position to grow their ranks in the House," writes the Post.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair, Rep. Cheri Bustos, poured a little salt in the wound, observing, “Washington Republicans have learned the hard way that encouraging people to drink bleach doesn’t make for the most effective fundraising pitch." Oof. The DCCC is currently sitting on a $33 million advantage some 100 days out from the election.
To sum up: House Republicans had Trump's back—and now he's dooming them at the polls and won't cough up any money to ease the blow, even as House Democrats raise money hand over fist.
It's exactly the kind of send-off lawmakers who turn their backs on their country and betray their oaths of office deserve.
