‘A nightmare that no one wants': GOP fears Mastriano's down-ballot drag in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Republicans went even further, saying a Mastriano candidacy would all but certainly unleash a bloodbath across the state next November.
'If he's our nominee, we lose four House seats,' Pennsylvania-based GOP consultant Josh Novotney said. 'He's a nightmare that no one wants.'
Asked for comment, Mastriano said POLITICO is 'not letting facts getting [sic] in the way of a good story.'
'I can tell you that I have President Trump's direct line,' he said in a direct message on X. 'And he ain't saying this.'
Despite perennially alarming Republican leaders, Mastriano, a state senator, still appears to have a grip on MAGA voters. A private Public Policy Polling survey conducted in May and obtained by POLITICO shows him leading state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a likely candidate favored by much of the party establishment, by 21 points.
His perceived strength is springing national and Pennsylvania Republicans into action.
Some state GOP operatives said they hope Trump will back Garrity in a bid to block Mastriano. For now his plans for Pennsylvania's nascent gubernatorial primary are unclear, particularly since Shapiro is widely seen as the favorite in the general election. Even if Garrity wins the nomination, several state and national Republicans expressed pessimism that anyone can defeat the incumbent, though they believe Garrity would outperform Mastriano.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
23 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
European Stock Futures Climb After EU Clinches US Trade Deal
European stock futures rallied after the US and European Union agreed to a trade deal. The pact, which will see the bloc face 15% tariffs on most of its exports including autos, was announced Sunday by President Donald Trump after a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The European leader said the rate would be all inclusive, though Trump said it did not include pharmaceuticals and metals.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oil Edges Higher as EU Agrees to US Trade Deal Ahead of Deadline
(Bloomberg) -- Oil rose after the US and European Union agreed on a trade deal ahead of President Donald Trump's tariff deadline of Aug. 1. The High Costs of Trump's 'Big Beautiful' New Car Loan Deduction Can This Bridge Ease the Troubled US-Canadian Relationship? Trump Administration Sues NYC Over Sanctuary City Policy Brent was near $69 a barrel after closing 1.1% lower on Friday, and West Texas Intermediate traded above $65. The EU faces 15% levies on most of its exports, although Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appeared to differ on some key details of the agreement. Trump's trade policies and threats of retaliation from targeted countries have raised concerns about the outlook for global economic growth, weighing on oil and other commodities. The decision by OPEC+ to rapidly increase its output quotas has also put the market on track for a glut later this year. An OPEC+ committee will convene later on Monday to assess the oil market ahead of a meeting on Sunday to decide on production policy for September. The group is expected to hike its quota again, according to delegates. Trump and von der Leyen announced the trade pact on Sunday, although they didn't disclose the full details or release any written materials. The US, which has also reached an agreement with Japan, set a deadline of Aug. 1 to conclude deals with its trading partners before American tariffs take effect. US and Chinese officials are scheduled to meet on Monday for trade talks, and the South China Morning Post reported that the two countries are expected to extend their tariff truce, according to people it didn't identify. Burning Man Is Burning Through Cash It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan Confessions of a Laptop Farmer: How an American Helped North Korea's Wild Remote Worker Scheme Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Crisis of trust': Epstein furore to hurt Republicans
The uproar over disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is undermining public trust in the Trump administration, as well as Republican hopes of retaining control of Congress in the 2026 mid-term elections, two congressmen say. Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who want the House of Representatives to vote on their bipartisan resolution requiring full release of the government's Epstein files, said the lack of transparency is reinforcing public perceptions that the rich and powerful live beyond the reach of the judicial system. "This is going to hurt Republicans in the mid-terms. The voters will be apathetic if we don't hold the rich and powerful accountable," Massie, a hardline conservative from Kentucky, told NBC's Meet the Press program. Republicans hope to add to their current 219-212 House majority - with four seats currently vacant - and 53-47 Senate majority in November 2026, although the US political cycle traditionally punishes the party of the sitting president during midterm elections. The Washington Post reported that Trump was increasingly frustrated with his administration's handling of the furore around Epstein. Even so, the president was hesitant to make personnel changes to avoid creating a "bigger spectacle" as his top officials underestimated the outrage from Trump's own base over the issue, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources. Khanna said Attorney General Pam Bondi triggered "a crisis of trust" by saying there was no list of Epstein clients after previously implying that one existed. The change in position unleashed a tsunami of calls for her resignation from Trump's MAGA base. "This is about trust in government," the California Democrat told Meet the Press. "This is about being a reform agent of transparency." President Donald Trump has been frustrated by continued questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and 2019 death by suicide in prison. Massie and Khanna believe they can win enough support from fellow lawmakers to force a vote on their resolution when Congress returns from its summer recess in September. But they face opposition from Republican leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who sent lawmakers home a day early to stymie Democratic efforts to force a vote before the break. Johnson, who also appeared on NBC's Meet the Press, said he favours a non-binding alternative resolution that calls for release of "credible" evidence, but which he said would better protect victims including minors. "The Massie and Khanna discharge petition is reckless in the way that it is drafted and presented," Johnson said. "It does not adequately include those protections." Massie dismissed Johnson's claim as "a straw man" excuse. "Ro and I carefully crafted this legislation so that the victims' names will be redacted," he said. "They're hiding behind that." Trump has tried and failed so far to distract attention from the Epstein controversy six months into his second term. On Saturday, Trump repeated his claims without evidence that 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and other Democrats should be prosecuted over payment for endorsements from celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce and the Reverend Al Sharpton. Last week he accused former president Barack Obama of "treason" over how his administration treated intelligence about Russian interference in US elections nine years ago, drawing a rebuke from an Obama spokesperson. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
