EXCLUSIVE — Democrats, seeking to defend Michigan in November, are underscoring drama within the state’s local Republican Party before former President Donald Trump rallies supporters this weekend in Waterford Township.
The Michigan Republican Party’s chairmanship drama is not only causing problems for its leadership, but also for the nominating caucus the party must organize on March 2, days after the state-run primary on Feb. 27, according to a Democratic National Committee memorandum obtained by the Washington Examiner.
“As Donald Trump prepares to return to Michigan this weekend, the Michigan Republican Party
could not be in a worse position for the 2024 general election, facing bankruptcy, brawls at
committee meetings, and fierce leadership infighting,” DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd wrote in the memo circulated Friday morning. “The common denominator in their descent into chaos and disarray is the party’s embrace of Donald Trump’s extreme (and losing) MAGA
agenda, setting them up for yet another loss this November.”
The two-page memo criticizes former Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Kristina Karamo, who the Republican National Committee this week started no longer recognizing as the state party’s leader after her yearlong tenure came to an end last month through an internal vote. Karamo continues to dismiss the election’s outcome, which promoted former Michigan Republican Rep. Pete Hoekstra, a one-time Trump U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands, instead, disputing the results in court. Trump had even endorsed Hoekstra before the January vote.
“Under the leadership of MAGA extremist Kristina Karamo, the Michigan GOP has struggled financially while key members of the party have faced charges over their fake electors scheme,” the DNC’s Floyd wrote. “Michigan Republicans have tried to put out the dumpster fire of Karamo’s leadership, but she refuses to leave quietly, escalating a full-on revolt in the party.”
Floyd was referring to the Michigan Republican Party last December defaulting on a $500,000 bank loan. That summer, 16 Michigan Republicans, including lawmakers and members of the state party, were charged by the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel over allegations regarding their part in Trump’s so-called 2020 fake electors scheme.
“Ever since Trump was elected and the Michigan GOP embraced his extreme MAGA agenda of election denialism, creating incentives to send manufacturing jobs overseas, and banning abortion, Republicans in the state have lost race after race, with no sign of that changing any time soon,” Floyd wrote.
Biden won Michigan in 2020, 51% to Trump’s 48%, or by 155,000 votes. Four years earlier, Trump beat 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by less than 1 percentage point, or less than 11,000 votes.
“After all of the chaos surrounding Karamo’s ousting, the state party decided to double down on their extremism headed into 2024, electing Pete Hoekstra, another Trump-aligned MAGA extremist, as the new Michigan GOP chair,” Floyd wrote. “Even Trump recognized the MI GOP had gone off the rails, and recognized Hoekstra, a former Trump administration official, as Michigan GOP chair amid the ongoing
leadership dispute. Hoekstra is a MAGA disciple who has already committed to helping Trump win
Michigan and has his own extreme record to boot.”
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The RNC and the Michigan Republican Party did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner‘s requests for comments.
The DNC is scheduled to brief reporters Friday afternoon. Trump will be in Michigan on Saturday.