Jumping ship: Winsome Sears joins list of Republicans calling for end to Trump era
Julia Johnson
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Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears said Thursday she “could not support” former President Donald Trump if he decides to run for president again in 2024, joining other Republicans who began denouncing the idea en masse following the midterm elections.
“I just couldn’t,” Sears told Neil Cavuto on Fox Business. “We have seen … Republicans on the same ticket who he did not endorse overperformed, whereas his candidates totally underperformed by as much as 10 points.”
“We have a clear mission, and it is time to move on,” she added.
Sears did acknowledge the successes of the Trump administration, touting the economy under his leadership and his work to get NATO countries to contribute their “fair share.” However, she explained that “the voters have spoken, and they have said that they want a different leader.”
REPUBLICAN WHO SCORED UPSET NY VICTORY PRODS PARTY TO MOVE ON FROM TRUMP
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“A true leader,” she began, “understands when they have become a liability.”
“A true leader understands that it’s time to step off the stage, and the voters have given us that very clear message,” the lieutenant governor said.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand,” she concluded.
Following a poor showing for Trump-endorsed candidates in the midterm elections, contradicting what polls forecast, Republicans began distancing themselves from the former president and signaling support for a 2024 run from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis performed exceedingly well in Florida, as did Republican candidates across the state. Florida stood out as an overachiever for Republicans.
Many are further viewing the results as a referendum on the Trump endorsement’s power and his influence.
Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi called DeSantis’s brand of leadership the “path forward for the GOP” on Wednesday, as conservative influencers and writers alike buzzed on Twitter about a possible 2024 presidential run for the Florida governor.
“I mean, just in my own emails today, [with] the number of people who want somebody other than Trump who have decided, literally overnight, that person is going to be DeSantis, he’s going to find it almost impossible to avoid running,” former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said in an interview Wednesday.
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Despite the GOP’s seeming change of heart, reports indicate that Trump still plans to announce his 2024 candidacy on Nov. 15. A senior adviser for the former president claimed, “The media, the corporate elites, and political establishment” have all turned against him but that the announcement will move forward as planned and they will “recreate 2015-2016.”