“There’s no questioning the Republican Party’s loyalty to former President Trump these days – and a gathering of potential 2024 candidates over the weekend in Las Vegas only underscored that point. But as for Trump’s loyalty to the GOP, new reporting out Monday morning serves as a reminder of how tenuous it has been. In his forthcoming book, ‘Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show,’ ABC’s Jonathan Karl reports for the first time on a Jan. 20 conversation between the soon-to-be-former president and Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee chair.”
“‘I’m done,’ Trump told McDaniel just after he boarded Air Force One for the last time as president, according to Karl. ‘I’m starting my own party.’ The full exchange has McDaniel warning of the consequences – ‘we will lose forever’ – and Trump saying he didn’t care. It was only after the RNC threatened to take control of Trump’s email list, among other potential legal actions, that Trump backed down, Karl reports in the book. In an interview with Karl, Trump claimed not to recall the conversation, and said he never threatened to start a new party. Whatever might be said about the GOP’s allegiance to Trump for the foreseeable future, the book is a timely reminder that loyalty has often been a one-way street for the former president” – ABC News.