Donald Trump's Tuesday night announcement that he would run for the White House for the third presidential cycle in a row has not generated the amount of excitement that he may have hoped for as he seeks to clear the field.
"Anyone looking for Republican reactions to Donald J. Trump's announcement of a third presidential campaign may have been surprised by the silence," The New York Times reported Wednesday. "There was, to be sure, a vocal contingent celebrating Mr. Trump's entry into the 2024 race."
The newspaper listed Republicans including Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
"But these voices stood out precisely because so few of their colleagues echoed them," the newspaper reported. "On social media, most congressional Republicans were talking about almost anything else: inflation, border policy, NASA's Artemis moon rocket launch, the military's coronavirus vaccine mandate, the 115th anniversary of Oklahoma's statehood, the need to recycle asphalt."
Some Republicans openly declined to endorse the former president.
Dave Price of WHO-13 in Des Moines reported GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley would not endorse Trump, saying it was a "tradition in Iowa." Price noted Grassley did endorse Bob Dole in 1996.
Punchbowl News correspondent Max Cohen reported Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott would not say if he is supporting Trump's comeback attempt.
On Wednesday, NBC News senior congressional correspondent Scott Wong asked House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., if he was "prepared to endorse" Trump.
When he did not answer, ABC News reporter Katherine Faulders followed-up, but McCarthy still wouldn't answer.
"You guys are crazy," the GOP Leader responded.
Listen to McCarthy below or at this link.
McCARTHY won’t say whether he’ll endorse Donald Trump for president.
— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) November 16, 2022
Me: “Are you prepared to endorse him [Trump]?”
Silence from @GOPLeader. @KFaulders: “Will you endorse him?”
McCarthy: “You guys are crazy” pic.twitter.com/ppLwIXgB6D
