Donald Trump 's acquittal on Saturday has relaunched prospects that his daughter-in-law Lara Trump could launch a Senate bid in North C...
Donald Trump's acquittal on Saturday has relaunched prospects that his daughter-in-law Lara Trump could launch a Senate bid in North Carolina to take retiring Republican Senator Richard Burr's seat.
Burr has come under intense criticism from the GOP for voting Saturday that Trump did 'incite an insurrection' on January 6 – and he is now facing a censure vote from his state's Republican Party.
Trump ally and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham told Fox News that Burr's vote basically assured that if Lara were to launch a bid, she would earn the Republican nomination in the state.
'My friend Richard Burr just made Lara Trump almost the certain nominee for the Senate seat in North Carolina to replace him if she runs,' Graham told Fox on Sunday.
One senior Republican official with knowledge of her plans told The New York Times that while the Capitol riot did soured Lara's desire to seek office, she is still considering it.
The official said she would decide over the next few months whether to run as part of a coordinated effort to bring back the Trump family to politics.
With impeachment over, speculation is reemerging that Lara Trump (left) is considering a Senate run in North Carolina
North Carolina Republican Senator Richard Burr, who voted for Trump's conviction in the impeachment trial on Saturday, announced in 2016 he would not run for reelection in 2022
The North Carolina GOP voted Monday to formally censure Burr. The state's GOP Chairman Michael Whatley in a statement Saturday called Burr's decision 'shocking and disappointing'
Trump ally and South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Sunday: 'My friend Richard Burr just made Lara Trump almost the certain nominee for the Senate seat in North Carolina to replace him if she runs'
Last year, rumors emerged that Eric Trump's wife, who he shares two children with, was considering a Senate run in her home state
Burr announced in 2016 when reelected that he would not seek another term in 2022.
There are several questions over the logistics of a Lara Senate run, however, including her residence.
Lara, Eric and their kids Caroline, 1, and Eric Jr., 3, live in the northern suburbs of New York City and if she was successful they would need to move to North Carolina.
Several Trumpian Republicans have announced they are launching primary bids in local elections in the midst of the fallout from the Capitol insurrection, which Democrats and seven Republican senators pegged on the former president.
The Senate ultimately failed to earn the two-thirds votes needed to convict Trump for 'incitement of insurrection on Saturday in a 57-43 vote.
Richard Burr will face Monday a censure vote from North Carolina's Republican Party after he joined six other Republicans on Saturday in voting in favor of convicting Donald Trump for 'inciting an insurrection.'
The move by Burr's home state GOP is the latest in fallout for the seven Republican senators dubbed 'Republicans in name only' or 'RINOs'.
The vote to formally express disapproval of Burr is expected to pass swiftly with overwhelming support for censoring him.
'I am voting yes because he failed his state and his constituents by voting to convict FORMER President Trump in what was an unconstitutional trial. A trial that even he said was unconstitutional,' North Carolina's RNC committeewoman Kyshia Lineberger told CNN.
'At the end of the day, America is a Republic where we the people elect representatives. Senator Burr did not represent the will of the people and that is a shame.'
North Carolina's GOP Chairman Michael Whatley called Burr's decision 'shocking and disappointing' in a statement Saturday.
Fellow dissenter Republican senator Bill Cassidy was also censured by the GOP in his home state of Louisiana.
Republicans are turning en masse on the seven GOP senators who chose to convict Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial on Saturday.
Those who voted to convict with the 50 Democrats include Republican Senators Burr, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
There are some obstacles the family would face if Lara were successful, including moving her, husband Eric Trump and their two children Caroline, 1, and Eric Jr., 3, from New York City suburbs to North Carolina
Of the seven, Burr was the biggest surprise as he was the only one of them all who voted last Tuesday that it was unconstitutional for the Senate to move forward with it's impeachment trial against an ex-president.
'I have listened to the arguments presented by both sides and considered the facts. The facts are clear,' Burr said in a statement Saturday after casting his 'guilty' vote.
'The President promoted unfounded conspiracy theories to cast doubt on the integrity of a free and fair election because he did not like the results,' he continued. 'As Congress met to certify the election results, the President directed his supporters to go to the Capitol to disrupt the lawful proceedings required by the Constitution. When the crowd became violent, the President used his office to first inflame the situation instead of immediately calling for an end to the assault.'
Trump was ultimately acquitted 57- 43, with Democrats falling 10 votes short of the 67 needed to convict the former President of inciting insurrection before the January 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol.
A two-thirds vote was required to successfully convict.
While 43 Republican senators chose to support the former President, seven ultimately agreed that Trump violated his oath of office by stirring MAGA fans into a frenzy before they took part in the siege of the Capitol.
No comments