Topline
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced Sunday he will not seek the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2024, swatting down speculation that the vehement Trump critic could enter the increasingly crowded field, saying he won’t risk “being part of another multi-car pileup that could potentially help Mr. Trump recapture the nomination.”
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan speaks to media during a press conference after meeting with … [+]
Key Facts
In a statement on Twitter, Hogan said the Republican party “must move on from Donald Trump” and his decision is about “ensuring a future for the Republican party” rather than “securing my own future in the Republican party.”
In an opinion piece for the New York Times also published on Sunday, Hogan criticized the state of the Republican party, saying since 2016, “Republican voters have been denied a real debate about what our party stands for beyond loyalty to Mr. Trump,” and that “a cult of personality is no substitute for a party of principle.”
Hogan noted that in 2020, “the party didn’t even bother passing a campaign platform.”
Hogan did not endorse a particular candidate instead of Trump, saying “there are several competent Republican leaders who have the potential to step up and lead.”
Hogan—who left the governor’s office in January after two terms—has criticized Trump in the past, and symbolically declined to vote for Trump twice (he wrote in Ronald Reagan on his 2020 ballot, and in 2016, he wrote in his father, a former congressman).
Key Background
Trump announced his third bid for the presidency in November. Trump holds a lead in some early primary polls, but key Republican leaders haven’t been as enthusiastic about him as in the past. He’s been criticized by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for meeting with white supremacist Nick Fuentes, and major party fundraisers including the Charles Koch-backed Americans For Prosperity and Steve Schwarzman have said or hinted they will not support Trump going forward. On Thursday, he was excluded from the Club for Growth’s annual private donor retreat, after he and the anti-tax group’s president David McIntosh had a major rift over the several 2022 races. Last week, Trump bashed former ally Fox News, after it was revealed Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch said in a deposition that many of the network’s hosts wished they had been “stronger in denouncing” Trump’s false voter fraud claims.
Tangent
Trump is facing a challenge for the GOP presidential nomination from former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who declared her candidacy last month and served as Trump’s UN ambassador. Many expect Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to run, and some polls have shown him beating Trump.
What To Watch For
Trump said at a rally Saturday that he would not drop out of the race if he were to be indicted. “I wouldn’t even think about leaving,” he said at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The former President is facing investigations in Fulton County, Georgia, over the 2020 election and from the Department of Justice over his actions on January 6 and his mishandling of classified documents after he left office.
Further Reading
Here’s Why Trump Was Snubbed By A Major Conservative Event Headlined By DeSantis (Forbes)
Trump Can Be Sued Over Jan. 6 Rioters’ Actions, DOJ Says (Forbes)
Koch Network Is Latest High-Profile Conservative Group To Oppose Trump’s 2024 Campaign (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/03/05/ex-maryland-gov-hogan-wont-challenge-trump-in-2024-but-doesnt-want-him-to-win/