House Republicans clash over Trump's role in downfall, look to 2020
by David M. Drucker
| December 11, 2018 09:04 AM
Five weeks after their Election Day thumping, Republicans in the House of Representatives are still arguing internally over President Trump’s role in the 40-seat thrashing of their majority.
House Republicans aligned with Trump, most of whom survived the midterm elections, are blaming November’s steep losses on disloyalty to the president and resistance to his agenda. Republicans from the suburbs, where Democrats experienced major gains, are mocking that argument and pointing to Trump and his laser-like focus on immigration as the chief culprits in their downfall.
Some party insiders working to usher a rebound in 2020 are casting most of the blame on the White House, saying Trump's highlighting of immigration in the final days to gin up the base backfired.
"There's a serious conversation a lot of us are having," Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., told the Washington Examiner on Monday, describing the debate as fairly intense. "Some areas we out-performed, but especially if you look at the suburbs, we didn't. For us, to want to be a healthy party going forward, it's important to recognize that."
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/house-republicans-clash-over-trumps-role-in-downfall-look-to-2020
