GOP Operative Turned Advocate and Political Observer
While I have sounded off about the debt limit prolifically on twitter, on CNN, on SiriusXM, in Axios (2), the Washington Post, Semafor (2), the Huffington Post, the Daily Beast, PolitiFact, and probably a bunch of other places I can’t think of right now, the closest thing I have come to a long form take is this heavily edited discussion with the New York Times.
I finally broke down and wrote an exhaustive look at the issue in the form of a Q & A.
Read the full piece here.
I spoke to Maggie Haberman for her New York Times piece on the generous curve Republican voters grade Donald Trump on, and the double standard that applies to conventional politicians, most recently Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“He has never adhered to the unwritten rules of electoral politics, and he has cemented his MAGA brand by openly flouting them,” said Liam Donovan, a Republican strategist. “In 2016, Trump was exempt from the punitive standards we hold conventional politicians to, and what’s remarkable is that seven years and a presidential term later, that still holds true.”
Voters, Mr. Donovan said, see Mr. Trump “differently, and make exceptions, consciously or otherwise, for his statements and his behavior.”
Read the full piece here.
I spoke to Semafor staff for Steve Clemons’ Principals Newsletter in the wake of news of the Trump indictment:
Conservative pundits were near-unanimous in declaring the news a political boost for Trump — at least in the primary election — whose opponents are now finding themselves forced to rally around him as he battles what Republicans voters widely view as a politically motivated prosecution.
“This development helps address two of Trump’s biggest comeback deficiencies: inability to dominate the news cycle, and lack of a good political foil. Now he’s back in his sweet spot — the center of attention, stewing in grievance,” Liam Donovan, a Republican lobbyist, told Semafor.
Read the full item here.
I spoke to Alex Leary of the Wall Street Journal for his piece on the looming indictment of former President Donald Trump and its impact on the 2024 election.
Mr. Trump has long sought to turn controversy to his benefit, and the latest one puts Mr. Trump squarely back where he craves to be—in the spotlight.
“Any development that stands to render the primary a referendum on the former president is bad news for anyone seeking to turn the page,” said GOP strategist Liam Donovan.
Read the full piece here.
I spoke to the New York Times‘ Maggie Haberman for an item that ultimately ran in David Leonhardt’s The Morning newsletter wherein they examined the political impact of the rumored legal proceedings that could be forthcoming against the former President as soon as this week.
In the short term, an indictment seems likely to help Trump politically. It will draw attention to him, and he often performs best when he has a foil.
As our colleague Maggie Haberman told us: “I do think an indictment, if it happens, will galvanize his supporters. He will describe the case as trivial, a point some Democrats have argued, and he will insist it’s all part of a broader Democratic Party conspiracy against him to help President Biden in his re-election effort. He’s already fund-raising off it, and he will make selling this to his supporters as another instance of him being victimized central to his campaign.”
…
When Maggie asked Liam Donovan, a veteran Republican strategist, for his view, he made a different but related point: An indictment may help Trump in the primary and hurt him in a campaign against Biden. “Legal escalation would be a significant blow in a general election where he needs to broaden his support, but any event that polarizes the primary in terms of pro- or anti-Trump sentiment only serves to harden his core support,” Donovan said.
Read the full piece here.