Trump’s 2020 Resurgence: GOP’s Reluctance to Revisit the Past
President Donald Trump is resurrecting the specter of 2020, much to the chagrin of many Republicans. Conversations with a dozen GOP state and county chairs, along with strategists, reveal a party eager to pivot away from the incessant relitigation of Trump’s election grievances. They fear that this focus may distract from a more compelling economic narrative that could energize voters. Yet, Trump is undeterred, issuing subpoenas for 2020 election records and pressuring lawmakers to enact significant changes to voter registration laws.
As Republicans approach a challenging midterm election landscape, there’s a growing sentiment within the party that an emphasis on “stolen election” claims and voter fraud could severely hinder their chances in the general election. While this messaging may resonate with the MAGA base during the primaries, it risks alienating moderates who are weary of rehashing events from nearly six years ago.
“I’m always one to believe you should look forward, not backward,” stated Charlie Gerow, a Pennsylvania-based GOP strategist and Trump convention delegate who once hosted a meeting of fake electors in 2020 at his Harrisburg public affairs firm. “It would be better if the midterms focused on the recovery of the economy and all the good things the Republican administration and Congress are doing to move the economy forward.”
Recently, Trump has set his sights on Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous region, subpoenaing records just weeks after the FBI conducted a raid on an elections office near Atlanta. He has resurrected claims that the 2020 election was “rigged,” suggested that Republicans should nationalize elections, and demanded that the passage of the SAVE America Act—which would implement stricter voting requirements—become lawmakers’ top priority.
“Part of me understands it, and part of me just wants to move forward,” remarked Todd Gillman, chair of the Monroe County Republican Party in Michigan. “Focus on the things that matter to everybody throughout the whole country,” he added, “or we’re going to have a problem in a few months.”
Nevertheless, Trump retains support from several Republicans, including some chairs from battleground states, who not only endorse his election probe but actively encourage audits of their states’ records as they continue to promote allegations of 2020 fraud. Bruce Parks, chair of the Washoe County, Nevada, GOP, expressed that he would “absolutely” welcome a probe into his county and Clark County, the two largest in the state. Similarly, Jim Runestad, chair of the Michigan Republican Party, suggested reviewing records in Detroit, a longstanding focal point for Trump’s conspiracy theories regarding the 2020 election.
“There’s no problem at taking a look at this and making sure everybody’s comfortable,” noted Runestad. However, others caution that the electorate may simply be indifferent to these issues—or have already moved on. Republicans, including Trump’s own advisers, are increasingly urging him to center his focus on the economy as the midterms approach.
This shift comes amid polling that consistently shows economic issues—not election controversies—are at the forefront of voters’ concerns. A February POLITICO Poll revealed that over half of Americans—52 percent—considered the cost of living a top issue facing the nation, whereas only 23 percent viewed threats to U.S. democracy as a pressing concern, a perspective primarily held by Democrats.
These worries about living costs are further exacerbated by Trump’s ongoing conflict in Iran, which has led to rising gas prices and global economic turmoil as the situation stretches into its third week. The White House has asserted that Trump’s efforts aim to restore public confidence in elections and emphasized the need to pass the SAVE Act.
“[Trump] is committed to ensuring that Americans have full confidence in the administration of elections, and that includes totally accurate and up-to-date voter rolls free of errors and unlawfully registered non-citizen voters,” stated spokesperson Abigail Jackson.
Buzz Brockway, a GOP strategist and former state representative in Georgia, labeled election issues as a “huge distraction,” adding, “Nobody outside of a small dedicated group is talking about this; they’re talking about the economy and, now, the price of oil.”
In Georgia, a state that has been a focal point for Trump’s attempts to challenge the 2020 election results, some Republicans assert that voters have largely become “immune” to the issue that has been endlessly revisited over the past five years. Some state-level GOP officials are hopeful that Congress will pass the SAVE Act—despite hesitance among many Republican lawmakers—so they can appease MAGA voters while steering clear of election discussions themselves.
While Trump’s claims of a “stolen election” may still resonate strongly with a segment of primary voters, the broader electorate is preoccupied with different matters. Should Republicans prioritize these grievances in their midterm messaging, they risk falling into a similar trap that Democrats faced during the 2024 presidential election—where former Vice President Kamala Harris’ warnings about democracy engaged loyal Democrats but failed to attract enough swing voters needed to secure victory.
“You’ve got to at least touch that base,” remarked a Georgia-based GOP strategist, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “But once you’ve got the nomination, then I think it really collapses down into economic issues.”
This dynamic creates a political puzzle for Republican candidates. “A savvy Democrat will put a candidate on the spot and say, ‘You agree with [Trump], don’t you?’ and make a mess,” Brockway explained. Republicans must “figure out a way to deflect that question somehow, in a plausible way that doesn’t alienate this loud minority.”
