Republicans Come Up With Every Excuse to Avoid Saying Whether They Will Endorse Trump in 2020

Donald Trump has announced that he is running for re-election in 2020. He has hired staff to run his campaign. He has filed his paperwork and has been raising money all year. That’s not to mention the fact that Trump’s personality and presence is the physical embodiment of “he’s running” meme. But apparently, it’s too early to ask Republicans whether they will back Trump’s bid because they have not thought about it at all, not even one bit.

On Thursday, CNN published an article that asked a number of GOP lawmakers whether or not they would endorse the sitting president of their own political party. The answers are—how can I put it—so 2016.

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn: “I don’t know what the world is going to look like. But let’s say it’s not something I’ve given any thought to.”

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, several days later: “I haven’t even thought about that election. I’m worried about the midterm election.”

Senator Lamar Alexander: “Look, I’m focused on opioids. And I was just reelected myself three years ago. So, I’m focused on that.”

Representative Bill Huizenga: “That’s a little loaded. One: we need to make sure that he’s actually moving forward and wants to go after this — so when he makes a declaration, then I think that would be a time to determine whether there are others [who] run or not.”

Senator Susan Collins: “I did not endorse the President for the Republican nomination in 2016. I supported first Jeb Bush and then John Kasich. So, again, I think it is far too early to make a judgment of that type.”

Representative Mark Sanford: “I’m worried about my own race right now.”

[Outgoing] Representative Charlie Dent: “Wait until the midterms. If we get wiped out, the question is going to be: ‘Should we do that again?’”

Senator John Kennedy: “I’ve supported the President in the past and support him now but three years from now? I think the midterms are a long ways away in terms of politics; I don’t get involved that far ahead.”

Senator John Thune: “Well that’s a long ways off. I want to get through 2018 first.”

Representative Mario Diaz-Balart: “I’m focused on working and doing what I do and so to talk about what might happen in that time I think is premature. We have one President, he’s President until the next election, and I will continue to work with him like I work with everybody else to get things done.”

Representative Adam Kinzinger: “That’s 2020 — pretty far away.”

So far away! Ha ha, funny you should ask if I’ll endorse Trump, I have not even thought one bit about it? Because I’m too focused on, uh, [checks notes], opioids. I mean, what will the world even look like?

Bad! The world will look bad, as it does right now you gremlins. But of course, these lawmakers have mostly stuck by this racist administration as Trump regularly flaunts any form of justice. They might be hedging now for political reasons, but there’s no doubt that after a year or so of “soul searching,” the GOP will end up in Trump’s lap, right where it started.