Republican Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsom Earle-Shears, once a staunch Trump supporter, said voters sent “a very clear message” Tuesday that “enough is enough.” “The voters have spoken and said they want a different leader. And a true leader understands when it has become a liability,” she said in an appearance on Fox Business. “A true leader understands that it is time to step off the stage. It’s time to move on.” Earle-Sears, who served as co-chair of a group called Black Americans to Re-elect President Trump in 2020, also said she “simply could not” support another Trump campaign. Some advisers had urged Trump to delay his planned announcement until a Dec. 6 Senate runoff in Georgia that could determine which party controls the Senate to avoid turning the race into a referendum on him and inadvertently helping those Democrats. But Trump, rejecting that advice, invited reporters Thursday to a “Special Announcement” at his Mar-a-Lago club on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 9 p.m. That leaves him trying to launch a comeback effort at a time when he is in an extremely vulnerable position after dominating the party, largely unchallenged, since winning the nomination in 2016. However, Trump has proven remarkably resilient, maintaining the support of his base, even through the “Access Hollywood” scandal that nearly sank his first campaign and the deadly storm on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who easily won re-election on Tuesday, is gaining new attention as Republicans openly weigh in on the transition from Trump. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Senate Republican, noted Trump’s role in removing some inexperienced and controversial candidates during the primaries earlier this year, who lost in this week’s election. In an interview, Thune said there is “no substitute for good quality candidates.” “We’ve had some very contentious, competitive primaries this year,” Thune said. “And in some cases, you know, there were a lot of forces at work, including outside people making endorsements in some of those fights.” Thune said he hopes the party will begin to see the emergence of younger leaders. “You can’t throw a party based on one person’s personality,” he said. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, who clashed with Trump during his first two years in office, called Trump “a nuisance on our ticket” who would hurt the party’s chances in 2024. “We want to win the White House and we know with Trump we’re much more likely to lose,” he told WISN 12 News. “If we have a candidate not named Trump, we are much more likely to win the White House than if our candidate is Trump.” Retired Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Tomei also blamed Trump’s meddling for Republican losses in his state and noted that candidates Trump endorsed fared worse than other Republicans on the ballot. “I think my party has to face the fact that if loyalty to Donald Trump is the primary criteria for selecting candidates, we’re probably not going to do very well,” he told CNN. “Across the country there is a very high correlation between MAGA candidates and big losses or at least dramatically underperforming.” Trump disputed that he had a bad night. “For those many people who are being fed the false narrative by the corrupt media that I’m angry about the midterms, don’t believe it,” he told his social media network. “I’m not mad at all, I did a great job (I wasn’t running!) and I’m very busy looking to the future. Remember, I’m a ‘fixed genius’.” There is also the possibility that additional Trump-backed candidates will win their races. While the landslide victory predicted by Republicans did not materialize, the party still appears well-positioned to flip the House and could eventually take the Senate as well. Many races remain too early to call. “There are no ugly wins or pretty defeats,” said Jason Miller, a former Trump campaign official who was among those who advised him to delay his planned announcement until the Georgia runoff. “Nancy Pelosi’s political career is over,” he predicted. “The Biden agenda is dead.” Other Trump allies provided media statements on behalf of the former president, supporting him even before his impending announcement. “I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President in 2024. I fully support him running again,” House Speaker Elise Stefanik said in a statement. “It’s time for Republicans to unite around the most popular Republican in America, who has a proven track record of conservative governance.” “If he runs in 2024 he will not only have my support, he will have the support of millions of Americans across the country,” said Rep. Jim Banks, a top congressional ally. Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance, who has emerged as Trump’s most successful running mate, said that if the former president decides to run again, he is confident he will be the party’s nominee. “Every year, the media writes the political obituary of Donald Trump. And every year, we are quickly reminded that Trump remains the most popular figure in the Republican party,” Vance said in a statement provided after inquiries to Trump’s spokesman. Trump’s decision to move now is due, in part, to his desire to try to freeze the field and lock in support to try to stop the rise of DeSantis, whom he has long viewed as his most formidable potential foe. In a sign of his growing frustration, Trump released a lengthy and angry statement Thursday night, blasting Fox News and other Rupert Murdoch-controlled media outlets for “going all out for Gov. Ron DeSanctimonious DeSantis,” whom he accused of “average DEMO Governor with great PR” as he again took credit for DeSantis’ 2018 victory. While Trump allies had previously insisted that reports of tensions between the men were overstated, Trump, who privately criticized DeSantis for failing to block the election against him, did so publicly. “Well, in terms of faith and order, that’s not really the right answer,” he wrote, comparing the race to the winning campaign of 2016. “We’re in the exact same position now. They will continue to follow us, MAGA, but we will win in the end. Put America First and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” ___ Associated Press writers Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia contributed to this report.
Follow AP’s coverage of the 2022 midterm elections at And learn more about the issues and factors playing out in the midterm elections at
