President Donald Trump can be foolish and self-destructive at times, but he is also able to move the ball forward in ways Republicans were not for years. Sometimes, you just have to take the good with the bad.That was most apparent on Tuesday, where two Trump endorsements showcased this dichotomy. First, the bad: In the Texas Senate GOP primary, Trump endorsed state Attorney General Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). Paxton is the worse candidate, the unlikable and politically toxic candidate with the stain of corruption on him. Republicans will still almost certainly win in Texas, but it will cost resources that could be better used in Senate races elsewhere.
The good? Trump-endorsed Ed Gallrein beat Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) in the GOP primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. Massie was dead weight in the GOP caucus, unwilling to ever help Republicans move the ball forward on an issue, and rushing to embrace the antisemitic kooks of the internet down the stretch of his campaign. Massie is more obsessed with ranting about Israel than accomplishing anything for his district, for the GOP, or for the country. By running Massie out of office, Trump has given future GOP House majorities (as early as next year) more wiggle room and made the GOP a less hateful party in the process.
