“Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory acknowledged reality in 2020: former President Donald Trump lost. He then explained why – and objected to Trump’s baseless effort in Congress to overturn the election. Now a candidate for Senate, McCrory is facing the same threat as other Republicans in key races: a primary against challengers who vigorously defended Trump’s actions in the runup to the January 6 insurrection and backed Trump’s Big Lie that he actually won reelection. It’s a dynamic that is consistent in races across the country – whether it’s Trump defender Mo Brooks’ Senate bid in Alabama or Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s reelection effort after repudiating the then-President’s role in the deadly Capitol Hill riot. Candidates like Brooks who aligned with Trump’s endeavor to subvert the will of the electorate – and continue to do so – are likelier to win over his coveted endorsement that could set them apart from their GOP primary foes. And in the high-stakes North Carolina primary, McCrory is trying to reconcile his criticism of Trump from his radio program, telling CNN he backed ‘almost all’ of the former President’s policies, supported his reelection effort and opposed both times Trump was impeached by the House, including on a charge of inciting the Capitol insurrection.”

“Yet since Election Day, McCrory has at times offered unsparing criticism of Trump in candid comments on his radio program, according to a CNN review of his remarks. McCrory dismissed that there was ‘something devious’ leading to President Joe Biden winning the race, saying that Trump’s name-calling, ‘disastrous’ first debate performance and personality cost him the election, turning off ‘soccer moms’ in the suburbs. He said the then-President’s legal team ‘failed miserably,’ saying it was Trump’s ‘fault’ for bringing them on board – and said his pressure campaign on Georgia officials to find enough votes to reverse Biden’s win raised ‘some possible legal issues'” – CNN.