Trump Administration official Nick Ayers urged Republican donors to put pressure on those Republicans who have been opposing the President.
The Republican Party may be on the verge of civil war. Rumors are circulating throughout Washington that V.P. Mike Pence’s Chief of Staff, Nick Ayers, has been raising the possibility of a “purge” with big money donors. If true, 2018 could shape up to be a big battle between establishment Republicans and President Trump and his supporters. Of course, Democrats can’t be overlooked either. The DNC has shown some signs of life and resistance since Trump’s election.
Despite being only 34 years old, Ayers has some solid establishment credentials himself. The Georgia operative has worked on several establishment Republican campaigns. However, Ayers is Vice President Pence’s man, and the two have a close working relationship. Ayers was previously Pence’s Chief Political Strategist. He was sworn in this summer as the Vice President’s Chief of Staff. Before joining the Administration in an official capacity, Ayers was among the names rumored for the Governor’s race in Georgia.
Now that Ayers is on the Trump team, he has been emerging as one of the more ardent administration supporters. Ironically, Ayers was once in the running to head the Republican National Committee. Now, he’s the man preparing to go to war with the GOP establishment itself.
The Trump Administration itself has been antagonized by rarely confronted Republicans in Congress. To be sure, President Trump has lambasted establishment Republicans on many occasions. However, the Administration has yet to organize a major pushback, at least not to public knowledge.
Speaking at the St. Regis Hotel, Ayers warned that the Republican Party itself was on track to suffer losses in the 2018 elections. Ayers urged them to double down and pursue Trump’s legislative agenda. However, audio recordings of Ayers suggest that Republicans themselves might be on the target list:
“Just imagine the possibilities of what can happen if our entire party unifies behind him? If — and this sounds crass — we can purge the handful of people who continue to work to defeat him.”
Ayers then went on to urge donors not to donate to those Republicans opposing the President. Instead, he urged, they should pool their money together. Then, these donors should make it clear that they won’t support the “could-be” purged people financially. And should these Republicans fail to accomplish certain demands by the end of the year, these donors should support and fund opponents.
Ayers also said that if the Republican Party is going to be a minority, it should be a united one, rather than a divided one. Apparently, many of Ayers comments were met with applause and support. The Republican Congress has failed to pass any signature legislation. As a result, the GOP could be on track for a historically bad showing in 2018.
If the Trump Administration enters the battles, expect establishment heads to roll. Already, many establishment Republicans are at risk of losing their seats.
Ayers was quick to clarify that he spoke for neither the President nor Vice President. For his part, Pence has generally worked to smooth over tense relationships between President Trump and Republican members of Congress. It seems unlikely, however, that Ayers would have made such remarks without Pence’s tacit approval.
Anti-establishment skirmishes have already been breaking out. Steve Bannon and his anti-establishment crew pushed Luther Strange out of his appointed U.S. Senate spot. Strange was too mainstream, and too much of an establishment politician. The Tea Party doesn’t appear in as many headlines at it used to. However, far-right grassroots activists remain active.
If the Trump Administration enters the battles, expect establishment heads to roll. Already, many establishment Republicans are at risk of losing their seats.