Trump’s threat to create his own Patriot Party an impeachment defense: Report

Former US President Donald Trump has been entertaining the idea of creating his own political party to compete against the GOP, an effort that appears to be designed as a defense strategy against his impeachment, according to a report.

Trump has reportedly instructed his aides to prepare election challenges to Republicans in Congress who broke with him in his final weeks in office, believing that the threat of a third party--the Patriot Party—will give him leverage to prevent GOP senators from voting to convict him during the impeachment trial, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump had discussed launching of the “Patriot Party” with his inner circle during the last days of his presidency. The name would be a nod to the extreme nationalism that Trump espoused throughout his tumultuous tenure as president.

Trump advisers also told the Post on the condition of anonymity that they would soon begin recruiting opposing primary candidates and commission polling in districts of targeted Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina and Senator Lisa Murkowski of Arkansas.

The former president, who left office last week but never conceded defeat in the Nov. 3 election, has more than $70 million in campaign cash to fund his political efforts, people close to him said.

Trump impeachment article being sent to Senate on Monday

The US House will deliver its article of impeachment against former President Trump to the Senate on Monday.

Trump faces a Senate trial after he was impeached by the House for an unprecedented second time for inciting an attack on the UC Capitol on January 6, which left five people dead. The trial is scheduled to begin the week of February 8 and the full Senate is required to meet six days a week until the proceedings are complete.

Several Republican leaders criticized the former president and signaled they would move ahead with the impeachment trial.

A Senate conviction would effectively bar Trump from ever holding public office again.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, has blamed Trump and other Republicans for provoking the Capitol riot and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican from California, has said the former president “bears responsibility” for the assault.

US Senate GOP leader McConnell: Trump 'provoked' January 6 violence

US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has accused Republican President Donald Trump of provoking the January 6 chaos at the Capitol.

McConnell, however, thanked Democrats for agreeing to a delayed start for the trial, which will give Trump's defense team time to prepare. The Senate could have immediately started the trial after the House impeached Trump on January 13.

Republicans in Congress are generally split on the issue and the prospect of a divisive battle over Trump threatens to worsen the party division.

The GOP –already reeling from a major loss of power with Democrats in control of the House, Senate and presidency-- is also divided on how to move forward, either with Trump or without him, for the 2024 presidential election.

“The central issue between the warring party elements is whether Republicans will continue to organize themselves around fealty to Trump or whether a broader coalition should be built in the coming years that can welcome both his most avid supporters and those who have condemned his behavior,” the Post said.

Many congressional Republicans have criticized the impeachment effort against Trump, arguing he is no longer in office.

"Never before has there been a trial of a person who used to be president but is no longer president. And it just strikes me as a vindictive move," Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, told a Houston news station.

A number of Republicans, however, appear to have been doing some soul searching following the assault on the US Capitol.

“We have to decide if we’re going to continue heading down the direction of Donald Trump or if we’re going to return to our roots,” Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a potential 2024 White House contender, told the Associated Press.

“The party would be much better off if they were to purge themselves of Donald Trump,” he added. “But I don’t think there’s any hope of him completely going away.”

Trump’s ardent allies in Congress, meanwhile, have continued to target those lawmakers who have criticized the former president. Furthermore, Republican voters are still overwhelmingly supportive of Trump, raising the prospect of strong primary races that could prove costly for establishment figures.

Most Republican senators reluctant to vote for Trump's conviction: Report

Most of the Republican senators are reluctant to vote to convict Trump in an impeachment trial fearing a political backlash from his fervent supporters.

Trump is hoping to further challenge the already divided GOP by raising the specter of his own political party, a notion that has been embraced by conservative media personalities.

Fox Business’ Lou Dobbs said on his show on Wednesday that a new Trump-led political party would wield positive influence in Washington, suggesting that the name under consideration -- the Patriot Party—had a great ring to it.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk also said that Trump may actually be “on to something” after what he called “the betrayals and back-stabbings” from Republican leaders.

Trump left office with a 34 percent approval rating, according to Gallup, the lowest of his presidency. However, the overwhelming majority of Republicans — 82 percent — approved of his job performance.

Several potential Republican contenders for 2024, such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz, have echoed Trump’s election fraud claims in the hope of courting his followers for the future.

“President Trump surely will continue to make his views known, and they’ll continue to have a real impact, but I think the country going forward wants policies that work, and I think as a party, we need to do a better job winning hearts and minds,” he told AP.

Cruz was also among those who called on their Republican colleagues in the Senate not to go after Trump over the Capitol attack.

Trump has not publicly declared his political plans for the future.

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