Donald Trump’s closest Hill allies are privately lobbying the former President to get involved in a Republican-on-Republican matchup in Illinois, a potentially messy scenario that has sparked internal strife in the party and prompted GOP leaders to launch a counter-campaign aimed at keeping Trump on the sidelines.
At the center of it all is freshman Rep. Mary Miller, a member of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus who has been left without a seat after redistricting. Now she’s deciding whether to challenge fellow Illinois Republican Reps. Rodney Davis or Mike Bost. Hoping to boost Miller’s political prospects, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia — another controversial firebrand who is close with Miller — has been talking her up to Trump and encouraging him to throw his weight behind Miller, according to multiple GOP sources.
A Trump endorsement would turbocharge the intraparty battle and potentially make things even stickier, something GOP leaders are eager to avoid. So House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has worked behind-the-scenes to head it off: he has urged Trump to stay out of the primary race, telling the former President that Bost and Davis — who are poised to become committee chairmen if Republicans reclaim the House after next year’s midterms — are both good members, sources said. […]
And Miller has created other heartburn for McCarthy and the party. In particular, Republicans are upset that Miller has spread disinformation about a bipartisan bill that passed the House to bolster how vaccination records are maintained and shared. Miller attacked the 80 Republicans who backed the measure, and later told the conservative outlet Breitbart News that the bill would “track” unvaccinated Americans who “will be targeted and forced to comply with Biden’s crazy ‘global vaccination’ vision.”
* And Mark Maxwell points out that Miller voted against a pre-Christmas pay raise for members of the US Armed Forces…
* Meanwhile, Miller is sure to be asked about Darren Bailey’s new running mate Stephanie Trussell and her myriad anti-Trump posts on her social media accounts, so they’ve been busily posting this pic to prove she came around…
Indeed she did. There’s also this from just a few months ago in praise of Democrats pushing the vaccine…
*** UPDATE 1 *** Looks like Rep. Miller just upped the ante…
Rep. Miller: The January 6th commission hates President Trump because he exposed the corruption of the DC establishment here in the swamp. pic.twitter.com/OmjSxSEllM
*** UPDATE 2 *** Rep. Miller is listed as not voting on the Jan. 6th “Commission” legislation. Hilarious.
*** UPDATE 3 *** US Rep. Rodney Davis’ comms director points out that there is no such thing as a “January 6th Commission” and obliquely accuses Rep. Miller of being “misinformed”…
Hey Rich.
Saw your updated post. I just wanted to point out that there’s no “1/6 Commission,” which some misinformed people often conflate with the 1/6 House Select Committee initiated by Speaker Pelosi. The makeup and powers of the proposed bipartisan 1/6 Commission versus the currently-active, partisan 1/6 Select Committee are very different. The proposed 1/6 Commission, styled after the 9/11 commission, never made it into law after it failed to advance in the Senate. There were individual votes on both the commission and the select committee.
As we have seen, the sham 1/6 House Select Committee has been a partisan circus, which is what Congressman Davis expected to happen with a Select Committee, and that’s why he voted against it. You can find the roll call of that vote here. The only Republicans to vote in support of the 1/6 Select Committee were Reps. Cheney and Kinzinger. I will note that according to the House Clerk, there were 19 Republicans who are listed as “Not Voting” on the 1/6 Select Committee resolution, including Rep. Miller.
One other thing I will note, Rep. Miller and nearly every House Republican (there were six listed as not voting) voted for the creation of a 1/6 commission in a procedural motion earlier this year. The vote occurred in a motion to immediately bring the bipartisan 1/6 Commission legislation to the House floor for a vote. A no vote on the procedural motion is basically a vote to advance the 1/6 commission bill, i.e. support the bill. You can find a roll call of that vote here.
More than happy to provide additional info if you need.
The good news is there’s a couple Friday news dumps and holiday weekends for Bailey to bail on this running mate.
- Saluki with a Job - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 4:58 pm:
She’s going to have to be more Trumpy in Taylorville and New Berlin if she’s that blind to think she can do it. She sure as heck can’t do it against Bost. She’s trying to separate herself from him, but he keeps adding scores of endorsements across the district, almost daily. She can’t outwork him or Davis. Pride is a terrible thing compounded by a lack of vision.
“Donald Trump’s closest Hill allies are privately lobbying the former President to get involved in a Republican-on-Republican matchup in Illinois”
Please, please, please get involved in Illinois politics, after he trashed the ILGOP and cost Republicans the presidency and US Congress. Please proceed.
Please bring Trump to central Illinois, early and often. We need to remind Illinois voters what the next two elections are about (if we still have elections by then).
Great reporting as usual by Meadows. What it reminds us of is that among the most staunch supporters of the former President policy is a distant second to perceived loyalty. Making clear that there is only one recognized leader and everything and everyone must pay homage is the singular objective. The merits of any given policy even if it represents sound Republican ideals are meaningless if they don’t engender oneself to the leader. This type of behavior exists around the world but not in democratic forms of government.
Everyone begging Trump to get involved in Central IL I really hate to say it but you don’t know what you’re asking for. Bost and Davis have incredibly safe R districts. I can’t see either of those districts going D with Miller as the candidate at the General. As someone who’s in Davis district the idea of her representing me is horrific. I’m picturing a nightmare scenario where her and Marjorie Greene start doing events in my area.
Speaking of Marjorie Greene can she just stay in Georgia please? Ugh.
I don’t think Trussell is really going to have much problem making the “there’s no zealot like a convert” argument, unless she’s just an absolute hopeless communicator. Scores of Republicans have already done that, JB’s money wurlitzer certainly isn’t going to carry the message that she’s insufficiently Trumpy, and it’s not like Republicans really have another option in the race that is obviously more loyal to Trump.
If you’re a Bailey fan (you probably aren’t on this blog, but I digress), you probably ought to be a little dismayed with how poorly he handled this. Speaks poorly for how he’ll handle wounds that aren’t self-inflicted. But as far as wounds go, I don’t think this is a mortal one.
Miller wants the insurrectionists, conspiracy theorists, and racist thinkers … and will see which district can sway with these… “folks”… so how exciting is it that Miller wants such vile thinking as her base?
Makes one wonder what she found when looking at both seats
If Rodney Davis’ Comm person thinks the insurrectionists are the victims of a sham committee, I guess there is little daylight between a Mary Miller and a Rodney Davis.
I mean, didja have to print Davis’ spokesperson’s propaganda in full?
- Saluki with a job - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 12:10 am:
One of her core responsibilities is to vote, whether we agree with the vote or not, she should, at a minimum work ethic, vote. She didn’t. This is about being more Trumpy and apparently she was’t in this case. She decided to pick a fight with Bost and Davis. As Cam Brady said to Marty Huggins “welcome to the (expletive) show.” Game on.
- 48th Ward Heel - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 4:26 pm:
When did it become normal to make public proclamations of love for the President? Ew.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 4:32 pm:
Miller will need to focus where she’s gonna be all Trumpy.
One-third of Illinois type campaigning is a lotta work for a congressional seat you’re shopping for…
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 4:49 pm:
The good news is there’s a couple Friday news dumps and holiday weekends for Bailey to bail on this running mate.
- Saluki with a Job - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 4:58 pm:
She’s going to have to be more Trumpy in Taylorville and New Berlin if she’s that blind to think she can do it. She sure as heck can’t do it against Bost. She’s trying to separate herself from him, but he keeps adding scores of endorsements across the district, almost daily. She can’t outwork him or Davis. Pride is a terrible thing compounded by a lack of vision.
- moving forward - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 5:01 pm:
that was quite a takedown by Maxwell. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 5 minute news segment so clearly trying to flush out a panderer. me likey.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 5:01 pm:
“Donald Trump’s closest Hill allies are privately lobbying the former President to get involved in a Republican-on-Republican matchup in Illinois”
Please, please, please get involved in Illinois politics, after he trashed the ILGOP and cost Republicans the presidency and US Congress. Please proceed.
- Pundent - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 5:11 pm:
So the Democrats are criticizing Trussell for being Trumpy while Bailey’s opponents will claim she’s not Trumpy enough. Strange times.
- filmmaker prof - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 5:22 pm:
Please bring Trump to central Illinois, early and often. We need to remind Illinois voters what the next two elections are about (if we still have elections by then).
- Pundent - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 5:24 pm:
Great reporting as usual by Meadows. What it reminds us of is that among the most staunch supporters of the former President policy is a distant second to perceived loyalty. Making clear that there is only one recognized leader and everything and everyone must pay homage is the singular objective. The merits of any given policy even if it represents sound Republican ideals are meaningless if they don’t engender oneself to the leader. This type of behavior exists around the world but not in democratic forms of government.
- Wensicia - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 5:56 pm:
Miller, Davis, Bost: three name circus.
- AlfondoGonz - Monday, Dec 13, 21 @ 9:35 pm:
Rich is about as straight forward a journalist as there is.
That even he can’t report on this faction of Republican politics without it sounding like tabloid trash demonstrates an ugly truth.
- MTZ - Tuesday, Dec 14, 21 @ 8:43 am:
Everyone begging Trump to get involved in Central IL I really hate to say it but you don’t know what you’re asking for. Bost and Davis have incredibly safe R districts. I can’t see either of those districts going D with Miller as the candidate at the General. As someone who’s in Davis district the idea of her representing me is horrific. I’m picturing a nightmare scenario where her and Marjorie Greene start doing events in my area.
Speaking of Marjorie Greene can she just stay in Georgia please? Ugh.
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Dec 14, 21 @ 8:53 am:
I don’t think Trussell is really going to have much problem making the “there’s no zealot like a convert” argument, unless she’s just an absolute hopeless communicator. Scores of Republicans have already done that, JB’s money wurlitzer certainly isn’t going to carry the message that she’s insufficiently Trumpy, and it’s not like Republicans really have another option in the race that is obviously more loyal to Trump.
If you’re a Bailey fan (you probably aren’t on this blog, but I digress), you probably ought to be a little dismayed with how poorly he handled this. Speaks poorly for how he’ll handle wounds that aren’t self-inflicted. But as far as wounds go, I don’t think this is a mortal one.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 14, 21 @ 12:39 pm:
To the update.
Miller wants the insurrectionists, conspiracy theorists, and racist thinkers … and will see which district can sway with these… “folks”… so how exciting is it that Miller wants such vile thinking as her base?
Makes one wonder what she found when looking at both seats
- Pundent - Tuesday, Dec 14, 21 @ 5:15 pm:
=the sham 1/6 House Select Committee has been a partisan circus=
Not exactly my take from the texts being read by Liz Cheney yesterday.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 14, 21 @ 5:17 pm:
=== As we have seen, the sham 1/6 House Select Committee has been a partisan circus===
Oh Aaron, are we saying the insurrectionists are the victims here?
Sounds like it.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Dec 14, 21 @ 5:23 pm:
If Rodney Davis’ Comm person thinks the insurrectionists are the victims of a sham committee, I guess there is little daylight between a Mary Miller and a Rodney Davis.
No more additional info needed, I hear ya.
- josh - Tuesday, Dec 14, 21 @ 5:41 pm:
I mean, didja have to print Davis’ spokesperson’s propaganda in full?
- Saluki with a job - Wednesday, Dec 15, 21 @ 12:10 am:
One of her core responsibilities is to vote, whether we agree with the vote or not, she should, at a minimum work ethic, vote. She didn’t. This is about being more Trumpy and apparently she was’t in this case. She decided to pick a fight with Bost and Davis. As Cam Brady said to Marty Huggins “welcome to the (expletive) show.” Game on.