Amid a fixed battle with Democrats on Capitol Hill to enhance border security, President Donald Trump may have drawn at Republican challenger for the 2020 presidential election — such as the challenge is.
William Weld, a former governor of Massachusetts, announced Friday he’s considering a run against the president in the GOP primary — he was the vice presidential nominee on the 2016 Libertarian Party ticket.
On the day the president cited “an invasion of our country with drugs, with human traffickers, with all types of criminals and gangs” to officially declare a national emergency to secure the necessary funding to complete a border wall, Weld announced an exploratory committee for president, according to ABC News.
While the former governor is the first Republican to take steps to challenge Trump, ABC News reported that “there are new signs he won’t be the last.”
The network threw out the name of former Ohio Gov. John Kasich as a likely candidate, reporting that Kasich aide John Weavor told The Associated Press, “All of our options remain on the table and we are leaning toward a primary run.”
ABC also pointed to meeting between Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Never-Trump elitist Bill Kristol, CNN’s new favorite Republican, who is reportedly recruiting Republicans to run. According to aides of the two-term moderate Republican governor, he is openly considering a Trump challenge.
“I think he deserves a lot of credit for being the first one in the pool,” Kristol said of Weld. “The water’s pretty cool at this point, but he won’t be the last.”
Of course, Kristol doesn’t exactly have his finger on the pulse of the average Republican voter.
As ABC News noted, the last Republican president to face a “notable primary challenger”” was George H.W. Bush, who would only serve one term.
Sounding much like someone who spends too much time watching CNN, Weld ripped Trump for leaving the nation in “grave peril.”
Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, the first Republican to take a serious step toward challenging Pres. Trump in 2020, says the president "is simply too unstable to carry out the duties of the highest executive office in the land." https://t.co/sGRipX5G5Z pic.twitter.com/cOWdYn7nXy
— ABC News (@ABC) February 15, 2019
“We have a president whose priorities are skewed toward promotion of himself rather than for the good of the country,” Weld said. “He may have great energy and considerable raw talent but he does not use that in ways that promote democracy, truth, justice and equal opportunity for all. To compound matters, our president is simply too unstable to carry out the duties of the highest executive office in the land.”
When asked about Weld’s potential run, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders responded: “Who?”
Fox News’ Laura Ingraham was equally unimpressed, tweeting: “Zzzzzzz.”
Zzzzzzz https://t.co/px5CEJPTKt
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) February 15, 2019
It remains to be seen if Trump is vulnerable enough in 2020 for a GOP challenger to take advantage of. The economy is certainly working in his favor. More likely the candidate(s) will only serve to warm him up for the eventual Democratic nominee.
Turns out, social media is not overly excited about Weld’s possible entry into the 2020 GOP presidential race either.
Here’s a sampling of responses from Twitter:
Bill Weld is considering running for president in 2020 as a Republican… FEEL THE EXCITEMENT pic.twitter.com/Fx1nzKOdWZ
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) February 15, 2019
Bill Weld, who ran as VP for the Libertarians I. 2016, but endorsed Hillary Clinton at the last minute, now announces he’ll run as a Republican in 2020…
What a joke!
This guy is garbage, and we should have nominated Larry Sharpe as VP in the first place.
— Libertarian-In-Chief (@ToddHagopian) February 15, 2019
Is he for real he needs to go home.
— Dorothy Man (@dorothym111111) February 15, 2019
— Pamela Dixon⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@PamelaDixon) February 15, 2019
— Kathleen Olson (@katlady23) February 15, 2019
I think you need a few more ? Laura. This guy will be done before he launches a formal bid.
— David Jurgens (@spartandj) February 15, 2019
I love how they say “a serious step toward challenging Pres. Trump”. That is the fakest of fake news. Nothing about Billy Bong Weld and J-Bone Johnson should ever be taken serious after the debacle that was their 2016 run.
— Jackie Moon (@Endoair) February 15, 2019
But won’t challenge Warren who puts country in danger every time she opens mouth. Weld another Never Trump GOP fraud
— PatR (@NoParty2016) February 15, 2019
It could be argued, Bill, that you show your “instability” by having the unmitigated gall to think you actually have a chance against him. ?
— Hoosit (@Hoosit) February 15, 2019
— T Moore (@TDMOORECPA72) February 15, 2019
William Weld plans to challenge trump in 2020.
Below are Google searches for Weld (blue) vs Yellow 5 (red), a food coloring.#Election2020 pic.twitter.com/c1VobcfAU5
— The Bearded Crank (@beardedcrank) February 15, 2019
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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