Here's Why These 'Trump Resistance' Members of the Republican Party Will Skip the GOP Convention
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is set to take over the White House for a second term. The 2024 elections in the United States are only months away and ahead of them, awaits the Milwaukee Republican National Convention. However, some critics of the former president from the party are likely to skip the event entirely.
One of the three "Trump resistance" Republicans is Maine Senator Susan Collins. The 71-year-old is not up for the Trump-centric convention, citing that she's opting for her home state. She clarified her decision to Daily Mail, "I don't go to every national convention. I always go to the state one. I'd rather be in Maine. I've got events scheduled. Who wouldn't rather be in Maine?" not saying that she's skipping due to the ex-president.
In Searsport, I met with the @MaineDOT1 Commissioner & Town Manager to discuss the reconstruction of Route 1 & port dredging, which will significantly benefit the community. I’m working to secure funding for these projects as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. pic.twitter.com/KcRIXI61n1
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) July 16, 2021
Meanwhile, Collins' frequent Senate partner Sen. Lisa Murkowski is also opting out from the event, and her spokesman Joseph Plesha told the outlet, "The Senator will not be at the convention this year, she will be back in Alaska."
Mitt Romney never knew how to win. He is a pompous “ass” who has been fighting me from the beginning, except when he begged me for my endorsement for his Senate run (I gave it to him), and when he begged me to be Secretary of State (I didn’t give it to him). He is so bad for R’s!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2019
Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah is the second Republican who won't show up at the 2024 RNC. Trump perpetually targets Romney and although his spokeswoman Paige Waltz denied he won't attend the convention because of that but simply said, "He won’t be attending [the] convention,' without elaborating on his plans.
View this post on Instagram
Romney over the years grew to become Trump's vocal critic. He said that he won't be voting for the Republican front-runner who has staged a complete takeover of the party, and installed his daughter-in-law Lara Trump as a cochair of the Republican National Committee. "My wing of the party is like a chicken wing, all right? It’s a little, tiny thing that doesn't take the bird off the ground. So we're going to have to change that in my view," Romney told MSNBC.
He further critiqued, "I'm not going to be voting for President Trump. I made that clear. I know, for some people, the character is not the number one issue. It is for me. When someone has been, well, determined by a jury to have committed sexual assault, that's not someone who I want my kids and grandkids to see as president of the United States."
Just met with my colleagues and President Trump. I was elected to work for Louisiana and the United States of America. I commit to working with President Trump if he is the next president—and it appears he is going to be—to make things better for all.
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) June 13, 2024
The third Republican to skip the RNC would be Sen. Bill Cassidy. Instead, he'd be at his home in Baton Rouge. His spokeswoman, Molly Block said he'd be prioritizing family time over the convention, "He will be spending time with his grandchild." Although none of the abovementioned Republicans cited different reasons to skip the event, nonetheless their absence has already been noted.
Meanwhile, another hot topic related to the RNC is Nikki Haley. Politico reported that the former presidential candidate and the former South Carolina Governor has not been invited to the Republican National Convention and she's "fine" with it. Her spokesman said she's urging 97 delegates to vote for Trump in 2024, "Trump deserves the convention he wants. She's made it clear she's voting for him and wishes him the best."
