February 13, 2022 ☼ trump ☼ decline
Source: The Washington Post (Link)
Much of the Michigan party’s leadership is as disdainful of DePerno, who rose to prominence for his involvement in a widely debunked, Trump-embraced report that claimed Michigan’s electronic voting machines had rigged the 2020 election. A subsequent Republican-led review by the state Senate described his work as “demonstrably false” and based on “illogical conclusions,” and it referred those reporting the misleading claims for investigation by Attorney General Dana Nessel (D), whom DePerno is trying to defeat in November.
Similar clashes between Republican leaders and the candidates Trump has embraced have been playing out across the country with growing ferocity in recent months, a chaotic sign that Trump’s once unchallenged hold on the party and rank-and-file supporters is waning, even if by degrees.
The former president’s power within the party and his continued focus on personal grievances is increasingly questioned behind closed doors at Republican gatherings, according to interviews with more than a dozen prominent Republicans in Washington and across the country, including some Trump advisers. Many spoke on the condition of anonymity because there remains significant fear of attracting Trump’s public wrath.