The kingmaker speaks
It无毛视频檚 as if Donald Trump never left the presidency.
He still holds those exuberant campaign rallies with a not-too-carefully concealed eye on an attempted return to the White House.
And he still holds court by becoming quite the kingmaker.
Something for which he seems to be well-suited.
Many Republicans are lining up to kiss his ring and swear their allegiance to him.
Don无毛视频檛 you wonder why these folks boast of their kinship for a fellow who came up short in two consecutive presidential elections by a grand total of nearly 10 million (9,921,456) votes?
But it is what it is.
When you run as a Republican, you jump whenever the kingmaker speaks 无毛视频� regardless of how tattered his pedigree has become.
Trump gets to exercise his power. The candidates get to worship at the altar of Trump for a little street cred.
It无毛视频檚 (supposedly) a win-win arrangement.
So far, Trump has officially endorsed 14 Republicans running for governorships, 17 for the U.S. Senate, and 71 of them running for the U.S. House.
There will be more.
He无毛视频檚 stepped into some pretty hot Senate races in Georgia, Ohio, and, of course, Pennsylvania, where political neophyte Dr. Mehmet Oz can无毛视频檛 seem to speak without mentioning he无毛视频檚 a Trump endorsee.
Good for him, he thinks.
Meanwhile, if you still haven无毛视频檛 gotten one of Trump无毛视频檚 sought-after endorsements, you might try to get into his good graces by frequently mentioning he无毛视频檚 the true president, because of all of that 无毛视频渨idespread voter fraud无毛视频� in 2020.
For the record, you know there无毛视频檚 never been any 无毛视频渨idespread voter fraud.无毛视频� But say there was, anyway 无毛视频� and cha-ching!
As a kingmaker, I无毛视频檓 sure Trump loves hearing that he无毛视频檚 still the real president.
These folks don无毛视频檛 even have to profess complete loyalty to Trump.
In the Ohio race for U.S. Senate, venture capitalist and author J.D. Vance has become a favorite of Trump无毛视频檚 (getting one of his prized endorsements) 无毛视频� despite having questioned if Trump was America无毛视频檚 Hitler back in 2016.
And after he once publicly said he was a 无毛视频渘ever-Trump guy.无毛视频�
And remember when Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Trump got snippy with each other during the 2016 Republican primary season?
Rubio publicly questioned Trump无毛视频檚 manhood after Trump called him 无毛视频淟ittle Marco.无毛视频�
Well, 无毛视频淟ittle Marco无毛视频� has been endorsed by Trump in his upcoming bid for reelection.
Rubio figured if you can无毛视频檛 beat 无毛视频檈m 无毛视频� join 无毛视频檈m, especially when there无毛视频檚 the possibility that his campaign coffers could get an injection of that highly sought-after Trump cash.
There无毛视频檚 a report that Trump is sitting on top of more than a hundred million dollars in campaign cash.
So far, he无毛视频檚 only doled out a fraction of it.
That means there无毛视频檒l be a lot more power to wield between now and the midterms 无毛视频� and beyond.
He无毛视频檚 even mending fences that seemed unmendable last year.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has been outed as somebody willing to leave the 无毛视频淭rump Train无毛视频� in the days right after the Jan. 6th insurrection.
He无毛视频檚 heard in leaked audio talking about the possibility that he was considering asking Trump to resign ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration of Joe Biden.
But it appears Trump and McCarthy have patched things up after the release of the audio.
Trump, though, doesn无毛视频檛 seem to have been as forgiving about the harsh words Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had about him in the wake of the insurrection.
McConnell has been reported as telling a New York Times reporter the day following the insurrection that Trump had 无毛视频減ut a gun to his head and pulled the trigger,无毛视频� by fomenting the violence the day before.
And that it 无毛视频渃ouldn无毛视频檛 happen at a better time.无毛视频�
Of course, after those statements, McConnell still maintained he无毛视频檇 vote for Trump if he is the Republican presidential nominee in 2024.
McConnell knows it wouldn无毛视频檛 be nice to cross a newly reelected President Trump if Republicans retake control of the Senate.
So, he无毛视频檚 laying low for the time being.
He无毛视频檚 allowing the kingmaker to make as many kings as he can.
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 40-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.