GOP congressman won’t support Trump in 2024 primary
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Former President Donald Trump wouldn't get Rep. Don Bacon's (R-Neb.) vote in the 2024 primary election if the former president chose to run again, Bacon told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
Why it matters: Speculation has been rife for months about whether Trump will run for president a second time and whether he still enjoys the same dominance over the GOP as he used to.
The big picture: Speaking of the 2020 election, Bacon said voters were "tired of the name-calling, the Twitter. But they, by and large, liked the policies," citing Republicans gaining seats in the House.
- "We have to also learn the lesson, 'Why did we lose in 2020?' It was the comportment and the temperament, and yes, a democracy respects elections. And our president should have respected the conclusion," Bacon said.
- "I'll be looking for other candidates," Bacon replied when asked by host Chuck Todd whether he would vote for Trump again, adding that he is focusing on the upcoming midterms for the time being.
- Bacon said he was "reluctant to go there" when asked what he would do if Trump is the nominee in 2024, but said, "he's not going to be my choice in the primary, that's for sure."
What they're saying: Speaking about the Jan. 6 select committee, Bacon said Republicans had "made a mistake on our side of the aisle by opposing" an independent commission to investigate the Capitol riot, "because what we have today is a very stacked deck in the committee."
- Bacon noted that Trump had hours in which to speak up during the Capitol riot to try to stop the violence, saying, "I think it was negligence. He should've done better."
- However, Bacon declined to say whether he thought Trump's actions were criminal in nature. "I'm not a lawyer or judge, I thought it was wrong."
- Bacon said he wouldn't necessarily dismiss criminal charges against Trump for incitement in the Capitol riot. “I think we should be looking more forward on this, but we’ll see what the evidence comes out with.”
