Montana Sen. Steve Daines, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the first member of his party’s leadership to back Trump’s 2024 bid, has tried to keep the former president in the fold with regular briefings on candidates and the party committee’s strategy, shifting tactics from the last cycle when the NRSC – under different leadership – steered clear of engaging in GOP-vs.-GOP contests.
“I don’t,” Daines said bluntly when asked if he believes Trump would support Mooney or Rosendale. “I speak with President Trump frequently, and he wants to win in November ’24 … with candidates who will win.”
Arizona remains the enormous question mark here, but this is very good news. (Also, this would position Daines very strongly to succeed McConnell if Trump wins, and might even position Daines pretty strongly to succeed McConnell if Trump loses. Historically, candidates recruited to run by a particular campaign committee leader have sometimes remained loyal to that person; this is how Chuck Schumer leapfrogged Durbin to succeed Harry Reid, for instance.)
