National

A host of lawmakers from both parties have sharply rebuked former President Trump over the past few days, after he called for the suspension of the Constitution in order to overturn the results of the 2020 election. 

Driving the news: Repeating his oft-cited false claims of fraud in the 2020 election in a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump wrote that such fraud "allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution."

Trump's remarks were condemned by the White House, with Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates saying in a statement that "attacking the Constitution and all it stands for is anathema to the soul of our nation."

On Monday, the White House also called on GOP lawmakers to "reaffirm their oath of office," in a separate statement issued by Bates to The Hill. 

What they're saying: Several influential GOP figures have criticized Trump in since he made the comments. "As elected officials, we take an oath to support and defend the Constitution," Republican Sen. Mike Rounds (S.D.) tweeted on Monday. 

"We should never dishonor that oath," he said. "No one is above the Constitution. Anyone who desires to lead our country must commit to protecting the Constitution. They should not threaten to terminate it."

Rounds added that "there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud that would alter the results of the 2020 election."

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also condemned Trump's comments on Twitter. "Suggesting the termination of the Constitution is not only a betrayal of our Oath of Office, it’s an affront to our Republic," she tweeted on Sunday night. 

Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke out as well, telling WVOC radio in Columbia, S.C.: “Everyone that serves in public office, everyone that aspires to serve or to serve again, should make it clear that we will support and defend the Constitution of the United States." 

Pence also said that he believes "by God's grace" he was able to defend the Constitution "not only my tenure as vice president but in those tumultuous days at the end," referring to Trump's final days in office and efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Meanwhile, vocal anti-Trump Republicans had even harsher words for the former president. "No honest person can now deny that Trump is an enemy of the Constitution," Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) tweeted Sunday.

"With the former President calling to throw aside the constitution, not a single conservative can legitimately support him, and not a single supporter can be called a conservative,"  Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) tweeted. 

"This is insane. Trump hates the constitution," he added.

Separately, some congressional Republicans who appeared on Sunday news shows denounced Trump's claims, with Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) telling CBS' "Face the Nation" that the former president's remarks were "certainly not consistent with the oath we all take." 

"I vehemently disagree with the statement that Trump has made," Turner added.

Rep.-elect Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told CNN's "State of the Union" that he "obviously" disagrees with Trump's comments. 

"The Constitution is set for a reason, to protect the rights of every American," Lawler said. "So I certainly don't endorse that language or that sentiment." 

Yes, but: Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), appearing on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, did not rule out supporting Trump if he won the Republican primary ahead of the 2024 election.

"I will support whoever the Republican nominee is," Joyce said when asked whether he would support Trump despite his calls to suspend the constitution. "I just don't think that at this point he'll be able to get there because there are a lot of other good quality candidates out there."

Pressed about his answer, Joyce said Trump "says a lot of things, but that doesn't matter it's ever going to happen" and said suspending the constitution was a "fantasy."

Trump on Monday attempted to backtrack on his comments, blaming the "Fake News" for "trying to convince the American people that I said I wanted to 'terminate' the Constitution." 

The other side: "For Donald Trump, last week it was dinner with antisemites. Now he’s calling for an end to America’s constitutional democracy. He’s out of control and a danger to our democracy. Everyone must condemn this attack on our democracy," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweeted Sunday.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) urged voters in Georgia's runoff election to take action in light of Trump's comments. "You stood tall against Trump and his minions last time," she tweeted Saturday. "A win for Warnock is another win for democracy."

"A few hours ago the leader of the republican party donald trump called for destroying the Constitution and making himself dictator," Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) tweeted.

"Every congressional reporter should demand responses from Congressional Republicans about Donald Trump’s call for the Constitution to be terminated … how many of them called themselves 'Constitutional conservatives' during the Obama years???" Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) tweeted Saturday evening.

"Donald Trump wants to suspend the Constitution in the name of protecting the Constitution, just like he perpetrated election fraud in the name of preventing election fraud," Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) tweeted.

"January 6 was Donald Trump’s attempt at terminating the US Constitution.  He’s a repeat offender," Torres added in another tweet.

“Trump’s words and actions are well beyond the bounds of acceptable political discourse, they stoke hatred and political violence, and they are dangerous," Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said in a statement.

"Trump has openly declared himself an enemy of the Constitution, and Republicans must repudiate him," Beyer added.

Newly elected Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that he "thought it was a strange statement."

"The Republicans are going to have to work out their issues with the former president and decide whether they're going to break from him and return to some semblance of reasonableness, or continue to lean into the extremism, not just of Trump but of Trump-ism," Jeffries added.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.

Lawmakers condemn Trump's call to suspend Constitution

Trump "called for destroying the Constitution and making himself dictator," Rep. Bill Pascrell said.

Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago on Nov. 15. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Donald Trump

Politics & Policy

Polls and conversations with top strategists in both parties suggest Tuesday's Georgia Senate runoff will be close — but that Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) holds a small but resilient advantage over Herschel Walker.

Why it matters: Runoffs are typically about turning out your base a second time. But in Georgia, both are targeting a critical mass of swing voters — independent-minded suburbanites just outside Atlanta.  

What's happening: Walker's ties to former President Trump — and struggles communicating his positions on the campaign trail — have made him uniquely ill-suited to win over swing voters, who have made the difference in recent closely contested Georgia elections.

A closing ad from the Warnock campaign features footage of Walker speaking about vampire movies, pregnant cows and how "our good air decided to float over to China’s bad air."

The ad shows voters with stunned facial reactions, side by side with Walker's comments.

🧮 By the numbers: On Election Day, Walker underperformed the rest of the Georgia Republican ticket, running 7 points behind Gov. Brian Kemp in Cobb County, an affluent and fast-diversifying county in the Atlanta suburbs.  

Among white college-educated voters, Kemp tallied 63%, according to the Edison Research exit poll — a 5-point edge over Walker with that traditionally Republican voting bloc.

Between the lines: The Republican strategy for the runoff is to use Kemp as Walker's leading surrogate on the airwaves, appealing to Republican voters to stick to their partisan instincts.

In November, about 203,000 voters backed Kemp for governor but not Walker for senator.

That big-tent strategy was undermined by Trump's dinner with antisemitic rapper Kanye West (who changed his named to Ye) and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes.  

Kemp got ahead of other leading Republicans in issuing a full-throated denunciation of the dinner: "Racism, antisemitism and denial of the Holocaust have no place in the Republican Party."

At the same time, the Walker campaign was declining to comment — and has remained silent ever since, even as leading GOP figures including Mike Pence and Kevin McCarthy have made public statements denouncing antisemitism, Holocaust denial and white supremacy.

Our thought bubble, with Axios Atlanta's Emma Hurt: Walker is using Kemp in TV advertising and mailers, but rarely mentions the governor on the campaign trail.  

The Georgia Senate runoff is Raphael Warnock’s to lose

Warnock (D-Ga.) holds a small but resilient advantage over Herschel Walker.

Midterm elections 2022

Midterm Elections 2022

New Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk doesn't appear to be a fan of former President Trump's response to the "Twitter files" release late last week.

Driving the news: "The Constitution is greater than any President," Musk tweeted in response to a Fox News article on Trump calling to toss out parts of the Constitution. "End of story," Musk added.

The "Twitter Files," which were tweeted out by newsletter author Matt Taibbi, were released by Musk after he gained control of Twitter, Axios' Scott Rosenberg reported on Friday.

They cite internal documents surrounding Twitter's controversial decision to block access to limit access ahead of the 2020 elections to a New York Post article about the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop.

Trump reacted to the news on Saturday, posting unsubstantiated voter fraud claims on Truth Social and saying they justified junking parts of the Constitution.

Zoom out: Musk is backing Republicans in upcoming elections, and says he prefers Gov. Ron DeSantis for president in 2024. 

"End of story": Elon Musk responds to Trump's "Twitter Files" reaction

Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Elon Musk

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

Former President Trump's unfavorable rating has surged to 67% among registered voters, with one-third of Republicans and GOP-leaning voters now viewing him negatively, according to a Marquette Law School national poll.

Why it matters: This is the latest in a series of post-election polls that show Trump losing altitude after his party's midterm disappointment.  

In a head-to-head Republican matchup, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leads Trump by 20 points (60%-40%). 

DeSantis led Trump among Republican voters who didn't attend college — which has been the core of the former president's MAGA base.  

But among GOP college grads, the difference in support between Trump and DeSantis is remarkable. Trump's favorability is underwater with college-educated Republicans (48/50 fav-unfav), while DeSantis' favorability is through the roof (80/9).

Testing 2024: Biden ties with DeSantis in a head-to-head matchup, 42-42.

Trump loses to Biden by 10 points, 44-34.

Trump is losing altitude after GOP's midterm disappointment

In a head-to-head Republican matchup, DeSantis leads Trump by 20 points.

Photo: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Meet The Press-10 56 57 Am - 10 57 33 Am-2022-12-04

Democrats and Republicans should not underestimate the impact of Donald Trump's "evil charisma," which could help him win the Republican nomination come 2024, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Why it matters: Trump, who was twice impeached and is under criminal investigation, formally launched his 2024 campaign for president in November, as Republicans reevaluate his role as the face of the party following midterm failures and ongoing controversies.

What she's saying: Psaki said the key question to ask during the primaries is who is the alternative.

“Democrats and sane Republicans underestimate Trump at their own peril, because in order for Trump not to win the nomination, there has to be a better alternative," she said.

Psaki drew comparisons to Trump's rival Ron DeSantis — who is seen as "either the savior or he’s currently at his peak" — and Mike Pence — who “didn’t exactly light the world on fire politically" until he aligned with Trump.

"Trump has some evil charisma that helps him win the nomination," Psaki said.

"The nomination process is long... My view is people should not underestimate him."

Yes, but: President Trump's core GOP support may be softening. Recent polling suggests he is at his lowest standing with Republican voters since he first ran for president in 2016, Axios' Josh Kraushaar reports.

The big picture: Psaki’s comments come a day after the former president falsely cited election fraud as a reason to suspend the Constitution and recently hosted white supremacists and antisemites at his Mar-a-Lago home.

Trump's dinner with white nationalist spurs pushback from GOP senators

Inside Trump's dicey 2024 campaign announcement

Democrats react to Trump's call to suspend Constitution

Psaki: Trump's "evil charisma" should not be underestimated

"Democrats and sane Republicans underestimate Trump at their own peril."

Former President Trump on Saturday falsely cited election fraud as a reason to terminate the Constitution, after Elon Musk released information about Twitter's role in limiting access to a story about Hunter Biden. 

What he's saying: "So, with the revelation of MASSIVE & WIDESPREAD FRAUD & DECEPTION in working closely with Big Tech Companies, the DNC, & the Democrat Party, do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION?" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution," he continued. "Our great 'Founder' did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!"

Between the lines: The statement comes after “Twitter Files" were released Friday by Musk. The files focused on "free speech suppression," regarding a decision by the former management of the social media platform to limit access to a New York Post story on Hunter Biden's laptop three weeks before the 2020 presidential election.

Twitter said it blocked the story because of a company policy on hacked and stolen materials, Axios reports. 

Conservatives, meanwhile, argued at the time that Twitter was censoring the news.

What they're saying: The White House condemned Trump's words in a statement sent to Axios on Saturday. 

“The American Constitution is a sacrosanct document that for over 200 years has guaranteed that freedom and the rule of law prevail in our great country. The Constitution brings the American people together – regardless of party – and elected leaders swear to uphold it," the statement from White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said. 

"It’s the ultimate monument to all of the Americans who have given their lives to defeat self-serving despots that abused their power and trampled on fundamental rights. Attacking the Constitution and all it stands for is anathema to the soul of our nation, and should be universally condemned. You cannot only love America when you win," the statement said.

The big picture: In the weeks since launching his 2024 reelection bid, Trump has been making headlines more for controversy than his campaign.

Go deeper: Trump: Capitol rioters have been treated "unconstitutionally"

Trump talks with white nationalist Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago dinner

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from the White House. 

Trump: Constitution should be terminated due to "massive" election fraud

"Our great 'Founder' did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!" Trump wrote.

Former President Trump is seen at his Mar-a-Lago home on Nov. 15, 2022, in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Former President Trump shared words of support Thursday with the families of people charged with attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Driving the news: "People have been treated unconstitutionally in my opinion and very, very unfairly, and we’re going to get to the bottom of it," Trump said in a video played during a fundraiser hosted by the Patriot Freedom Project, which assists those charged in the riot.

"You look at other groups which have done terrible things and virtually nothing happened to them," he said. "So, it's a very unfair situation."

He also spoke of the "weaponization of the Department of Justice," saying we can't let this happen, and warned the country is "going communist."

Between the lines: Since Trump declared his 2024 candidacy last month, his embrace of extremists is under the spotlight once again, causing renewed outrage over the former president's support of violent rioters and white nationalists.

Some in his own party, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), are turning their backs on him, saying that anyone who meets with antisemites or white supremacists is "highly unlikely to ever be elected president of the United States."

Context: The statement comes just days after outrage over Trump's dinner with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. 

Of note: Trump's video message was shared the same week Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers, was found guilty of seditious conspiracy for his actions in the lead-up to and day of the Capitol riot.

Trump: Capitol rioters have been treated "unconstitutionally"

"People have been treated unconstitutionally in my opinion and very, very unfairly, and we’re going to get to the bottom of it," Trump said.

Former President Trump speaks during an event at his Mar-a-Lago home on Nov. 15, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

An appeals court on Thursday ruled to scrap the appointment of a special master to review documents seized from former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.

Why it matters: It's a major defeat for Trump and a victory for the Department of Justice, which has pushed to end the third-party review. The decision allows the DOJ to continue its probe into the former president's handling of classified documents.

What they’re saying: "The law is clear," the appeals court wrote. “We cannot write a rule that allows any subject of a search warrant to block government investigations after the execution of the warrant. Nor can we write a rule that allows only former presidents to do so.”

“Either approach would be a radical reordering of our caselaw limiting the federal courts’ involvement in criminal investigations. And both would violate bedrock separation-of-powers limitations.”

“Accordingly, we agree with the government that the district court improperly exercised equitable jurisdiction, and that dismissal of the entire proceeding is required,” it continued.

"To create a special exception here would defy our Nation’s foundational principle that our law applies ‘to all, without regard to numbers, wealth, or rank.'"

How it happened: The ruling comes after a three-member panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit last week seemed inclined to grant the DOJ's appeal of the special master's appointment during oral arguments.

The DOJ argued that a federal judge "erred in ordering a special-master review for claims of executive and attorney-client privilege and enjoining the government’s use of the seized records in the meantime."

Trump sought the special master, arguing that some of the records may be protected by attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. 

The big picture: District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, had granted his request and appointed former New York federal judge Raymond Dearie as special master after Trump's team proposed him as a candidate and the DOJ agreed. 

Dearie, however, appeared skeptical of Trump's argument that he declassified the documents long before they were seized from Mar-a-Lago.

The 11th Circuit sided with the DOJ when it granted the agency's request to resume reviewing classified documents from Mar-a-Lago as part of the department's criminal investigation. 

Worth noting: The three-panel judge includes the circuit’s chief judge, Bush-appointed William Pryor, and two judges appointed by Trump.

State of play: The DOJ has appointed Jack Smith to oversee federal criminal investigations into Trump's handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. 

Trump criticized the special counsel appointment, writing on his Truth Social platform that Smith is "compromised" and a "political hit man."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional background and reporting.

Appeals court halts special master review of Mar-a-Lago documents

It's a major defeat for Trump and victory for the Department of Justice.

Former US President Donald Trump speaks at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022

Former President Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago on Nov. 15. Photo: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Treasury Department has made available six years of former President Trump's federal tax returns to the Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee, a spokesperson confirmed to Axios Wednesday. 

The big picture: House Democrats have been trying for years to obtain Trump's tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service as part of its investigation into the service’s presidential audit program, even as the former president fought for years to block its release.

The Supreme Court last week denied Trump's emergency application asking it to block the committee from obtaining his tax returns.

Driving the news: "Treasury has complied with last week’s court decision," a Treasury spokesperson told Axios.

Treasury declined to say whether the committee had accessed the documents, consistent with the guidelines of 6103.

CNN first reported the committee had access to the returns. 

The House Ways and Means Committee did not immediately provide comment to Axios.

Background: After the Treasury Department denied the committee's request to turn over the documents in 2019, committee chair Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) filed a lawsuit enforcing its inquiry.

Trump's lawyers argued the committee wanted to publish the records and didn't actually have a legitimate legislative purpose for them.

The Department of Justice under the Biden administration argued in a 2021 opinion that the committee's request was legitimate and that the Trump-era Treasury Department had no valid reason to refuse it, Axios Jacob Knutson reports.

Of note: The tax returns are not expected to be released to the public any time soon, per CNN.

Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the Treasury Department made  available, not sent, Trump's tax records to the House Ways and Means Committee. It has also been updated with additional background.

House Democrats have access to Trump tax returns, Treasury confirms

This marks a win for the House Ways and Means Committee after a lengthy legal battle to get the records.

Former President Trump speaks during an event at his Mar-a-Lago home on Nov. 15, 2022, in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Tel Aviv

Axios from Tel Aviv

Incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a "mistake" for Donald Trump to meet with rapper Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and far-right activist Nick Fuentes, both of whom have made antisemitic remarks.

Why it matters: The remarks from Netanyahu, who is highly popular among Republicans, echo criticism from senior Republicans in Congress and several of Trump's former advisers.

What he's saying: "I condemned Kanye West's antisemitic statements. President Trump's decision to dine with this person I think is wrong and misplaced. He shouldn't do that. I think he made a mistake. I hope it's not repeated," Netanyahu said in an interview with American journalist Bari Weiss.

Netanyahu added that Trump "has been a tremendous supporter of Israel … and the Jewish people," and stressed he's "unabashedly appreciative" of what Trump did for Israel.

Netanyahu mentioned Trump's decisions to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, move the American embassy to Jerusalem, recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights and withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. 

When asked to describe Trump with one adjective, Netanyahu chose "irreverent."

Between the lines: Throughout the interview, Netanyahu tried to reassure the Biden administration and the Jewish community in the U.S. about the incoming Israeli government, which is expected to include extremist parties.

Netanyahu stressed that he will be the one deciding on government policy and will not allow steps that could inflame the security situation between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Netanyahu stressed that he will not allow the rights of the LGBTQ community or Israel's Arab minority to be harmed.

He also said the new Israeli government will maintain Israel's democracy, and the country “is not going to be governed by Talmudic law."

Worth noting: Several former Trump advisers — including former ambassador to Israel David Friedman, former Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt and former envoy for fighting antisemitism Elan Carr, all of whom are Jewish — criticized Trump for meeting with West and Fuentes was wrong. 

In a statement after the meeting, Trump said: "Kanye West very much wanted to visit Mar-a-Lago. Our dinner meeting was intended to be Kanye and me only, but he arrived with a guest whom I had never met and knew nothing about."

Inside Trump's dinner with Ye and Fuentes 

Trump blasts Netanyahu for disloyalty: "F**k him"

Trump calls McConnell "loser" after he condemns Fuentes dinner

Netanyahu says it was a "mistake" for Trump to dine with Kanye

"I think he made a mistake. I hope it's not repeated."

Trump and Netanyahu at the White House in 2020. Photo: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

Editor's note: Former President Trump has formally entered the 2024 presidential race.

Former President Trump put himself in a box when he declared on election eve that he would make a "very big announcement" on Nov. 15. 

Why it matters: The midterms were a disaster for Republicans and for Trump personally. But because of his pre-midterms promise, Trump felt compelled to barrel ahead with declaring his 2024 presidential campaign on the promised date.

The big picture: Even some of Trump's own advisers privately acknowledge he has suffered the most significant damage to his political standing since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The first head-to-head polls coming after the midterms are brutal for Trump. The conservative Club for Growth has released a polling memo showing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leading Trump in multiple states.

And in another poll of likely Republican primary voters in Texas, DeSantis led Trump by 11 percentage points.

Behind the scenes: When Trump teased his rally crowd with his promise of a "very big announcement" on Nov. 15, he was actually offering a compromise to his  advisers.

That very morning, Nov. 7, Trump had told associates he planned to announce his 2024 campaign that night in Dayton, Ohio, in his rally with JD Vance.

Even though he was less optimistic than some of his advisers, Trump expected Republicans to do well last Tuesday night. And his main concern, the day before the elections, was ensuring that he would receive sufficient credit for the GOP triumphs. 

Trump figured that by announcing his own candidacy the night before election, he could increase his chances of getting the credit he felt he deserved, an adviser told Axios.

Trump was actually more bearish about the midterm elections than some of his own advisers. 

He was less sure of the sweeping "red wave" that was being promised, and he persistently suspected abortion would be more of a problem for Republicans that his advisers thought it would be. 

Trump also privately discounted GOP strategists who thought John Fetterman's debate performance was fatal to his chances in the Pennsylvania Senate race. Trump thought Fetterman would do better than many people expected because "people would feel bad for him," a source close to Trump told Axios.

Several of Trump's confidants, including GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), were alarmed when they learned he was going to toss out his team's tentative plans of announcing his campaign the week after the midterms and instead do a haphazard announcement the night before the midterms.

They thought an election eve announcement would gin up Democratic turnout the next day and harm Republicans' chances. They scrambled into action and tried to talk Trump out of it. 

He ultimately compromised by announcing his announcement date.

Since then, Trump has publicly attacked popular Republican governors  DeSantis and Glenn Youngkin. And in doing so, he has alienated even some of his own longtime allies and advisers.

Several of these allies told Axios that in the wake of Trump's attacks on DeSantis and Youngkin they were reconsidering how closely they wanted to be publicly associated with the Trump 2024 campaign.

Between the lines: By talking him out of an election-eve announcement, Trump's advisers saved him from receiving even more blame than he's currently getting for the GOP underperformance. 

But Trump's decision to promise a "very big announcement" for the Tuesday after the midterms put him in a situation where he would risk appearing weak if he retracted it. 

Still, some of Trump's advisers thought it would have been wiser for him to delay his presidential announcement until after the Georgia Senate runoff. 

"For some reason it's just stuck in his head that he's got to do this," said another source close to Trump. "And he can't be talked out it."

Trump wanted to announce his 2024 campaign before the midterms.

Donald Trump

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Inside Trump's dicey 2024 campaign announcement

Republicans see signs of Trump support softening

Trump failed to comply with subpoena to testify, Jan. 6 panel says

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