Donald Trump Jr. is wading into the House GOP’s whip race, accusing National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer’s (R-MN) camp of planting negative quotes about Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) and his staff in a Daily Beast story on Friday.
Trump Jr.’s involvement comes as the battle for the No. 3 position in House Republican leadership next year if the GOP takes back the majority is heating up, with Emmer, Chief Deputy Whip Drew Ferguson (R-GA), and Banks, the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, all vying to serve in the role.
“Why did Tom Emmer tell his consultants to run to the leftwing Daily Beast to trash Jim Banks, Tucker Carlson and Tucker’s family? Does he really think that’s a winning strategy for a Republican House leadership race? Pathetic!” he tweeted on Friday, along with a clip from the story featuring an anonymous source stating, “Deep down, he dies to be liked by the establishment. He hires Tucker Carlson’s son, a 24-year-old kid, to be his communications director,” in reference to Banks’s communications director, Buckley Carlson.
MIDTERMS 2022: LIVE UPDATES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL AHEAD OF CRUCIAL ELECTION
Emmer’s team vehemently denied that the quote came from his camp, asserting that he is focused on retaking the majority.
“Chairman Emmer and his staff have never attacked Jim Banks’ staff. Period,” NRCC Communications Director Michael McAdams told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
While Emmer’s team has rebuffed the allegation, one source close to Trump Jr. asserted that the former president’s son has grievances with the Minnesota Republican and is contemplating taking a larger role in backing Banks in the leadership race.
“I’m not quite sure why Emmer’s team thought it was a good idea to provoke both Tucker Carlson and Don Jr. Not only is Don close to Banks, he is personal friends with Tucker, so Team Emmer’s decision to go scorched earth on Banks and attack Tucker’s son to the Daily Beast has led Don to go from privately supporting Banks to considering very public involvement in the whip race,” the source said.
NEW GOP SUPER PAC BOOSTING REP. JIM BANKS AS HE VIES FOR MAJORITY WHIP ROLE
“He was already not a fan of Emmer because of his liberal voting record, lack of support for Harriet Hageman against Liz Cheney, and his comments calling on Republican candidates to not say the name ‘Trump’ on the campaign trail, but now, he is out for blood,” they added, seemingly referring to a CNN report in which Emmer is said to have advised candidates not to be “distracted by Donald Trump on the campaign trail.”
While the race has grown increasingly heated, with all three contenders having locked down a sizable amount of support within the conference, multiple senior GOP sources cast doubt on whether Emmer’s team was responsible for the attack on Carlson.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
They say taking aim at other members has not traditionally been his MO.
“Emmer’s team would have nothing to gain from attacking Tucker’s son, but they would have a lot to lose. That’s why there’s zero chance this was them,” one senior GOP aide said.
Another source said regardless of where the criticism of Banks and Buckley Carlson originated, attacks on a whip contender coming from the Trump orbit could have a sizable impact on the race.
“I think it’s clearly Jim Banks trying to knock Emmer down, and yeah, I think it could give some people pause when you consider this plus Emmer’s voting record,” the senior GOP staffer not directly affiliated with the whip race said.
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) reportedly dropped out of the whip race after taking aim at Buckley Carlson, leading to her seeking another term as House Republican conference chairwoman.
Another senior aid cautioned that leadership fights spilling into the public eye before the midterm elections could be counterproductive to their odds of securing the position.
“Anyone who truly understands what it takes to be in leadership knows it requires being a uniter, a consensus-builder — especially in the whip position. Someone who boots their media presence, at the expense of slinging mud on their colleagues, doesn’t deserve a seat at the leadership table,” the GOP operative with leadership experience said.
“A Republican House majority will be short-lived if members in the conference spend their energy sowing division, especially if that division is coming from someone in leadership,” they said.
