This primary cycle, former President Donald Trump has established a pattern of endorsing candidates opposed by the House Freedom Caucus. Moreover, he has backed the preferred Senate candidates of the National Republican Senatorial Committee against challengers attempting to outflank them from the right. In other words, Trump learned from his mistakes in 2022 and is supporting conservatives who are more serious about governing than making noise.
House candidates backed by members of the Freedom Caucus have recently lost primaries in Texas, Nebraska, Montana, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, North Dakota, and South Carolina. While their candidates were struggling to win, Trump did not come to their aid, and he often endorsed against the Freedom Caucus’s preferences. Trump is even supporting Bob Good, a primary challenger to the current chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.
On the Senate side, Trump endorsed Sam Brown over Jeff Gunter in Nevada, Mike Rogers over former Freedom Caucus member Justin Amash in Michigan, and Eric Hovde before any serious challenger could enter the race in Wisconsin.
This has drawn the ire of Freedom Caucus members. As one put it, “He is endorsing moderates in most races if there’s a conservative in the race. We can’t send the swamp any people that are just going to keep funding the status quo.”
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) criticized that statement, saying, “Did anyone take a second to think maybe Trump would like to actually govern instead of screaming at the sky and pretending like you are accomplishing anything other than getting yourself reelected?”
Van Orden is correct in his assertion that the Freedom Caucus is getting nothing done. The only meaningful “success” that it has had in recent memory is ousting Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy against Trump’s urging. Even then, that was merely a publicity stunt for noted creep Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). Furthermore, many of the incumbents who the Freedom Caucus opposed are holding swing seats that only a more centrist candidate could win.
The Freedom Caucus does not even have a legitimate claim to being the most conservative group in the House and targets consistent conservatives as well. Rep. William Timmons (R-SC), a Trump-endorsed incumbent who fended off a Freedom Caucus-backed challenger, emphasized that he had “a more conservative voting record than six out of the nine people that have endorsed my primary opponent out of the Republican conference.” In other words, their disagreements are not about policy but “about tactics.”
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The tactics of Freedom Caucus members are to throw a temper tantrum, go on television, and get nothing done for their constituents.
Conservatives are getting sick of the Freedom Caucus’s antics and publicity stunts. Trump is able to recognize a turning tide, and while his endorsements are still largely due to perceived loyalty, having Republicans in Congress who are serious about governing is a good thing.