Where most Biden-district House Republicans really stand on Trump

By Daniella Diaz

With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told POLITICO in a statement this week he plans to support Trump if he is the Republican nominee. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

HOUSE’S MOST VULNERABLE REPUBLICANS: MOSTLY MUM ON TRUMP

The 17 House Republicans who represent districts that President Joe Biden carried in 2020 are going to get peppered with questions next week about Donald Trump now that the former president is locking down the GOP nod to return to the White House.

But contrary to the rest of a Republican Party that’s increasingly falling in step behind Trump, the group we’ll call the “Biden District 17” is mostly avoiding any big endorsements.

The exceptions: Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) has backed the former president, saying his “policies made our nation stronger and had us on track to prosperity” in a statement earlier this week. 

Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.) also endorsed Trump, saying in a statement: "I expect to ultimately endorse Donald Trump for president.”

And after Trump won the New Hampshire primary this week, Rep. Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.) posted on X: “President Trump will be the Republican nominee for president … And I have always said our nominee will have my full support to turn this country around.”

The soft supporters: Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told POLITICO in a statement this week he plans to support Trump if he is the Republican nominee. That approach puts him more in line with No. 1 and No. 2 Senate GOP leaders Mitch McConnell and John Thune, neither of whom have full-throatedly endorsed.

“I’ll support our nominee and who primary voters select when all [is] said and done. The choice will be between who can best secure our border, nominate the best Supreme Court judges, and promote energy independence,” Bacon said Wednesday, without actually mentioning Trump.

Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) took the same stance, telling the Atlantic in a story published Thursday: “I intend to support the presidential nominee.”

Molinaro followed Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.), who said he planned to endorse the nominee. “I would say that Donald Trump will be the nominee. And I will be supportive of whoever the Republican nominee is,” D’Esposito said on News Nation earlier this month.

Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) said Trump “will become the nominee.”

“I think it's very important that we get the executive branch back,” he added in an interview earlier this month.

That leaves 10 more among the Biden District 17 whose approaches to Trump will face heavy scrutiny from a Democratic campaign arm that’s all too ready to yoke them to the polarizing former president.

A recap of those 10: Reps. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Young Kim (R-Calif.), Michelle Steel (R-Calif.), Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) and Jen Kiggans (R-Va.)

We can tell you two aren’t biting: Chavez-DeRemer’s spokesperson told us she had no plans to endorse at this time, as did Valadao’s. Requests for comment from the other members were not returned.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is already pouncing on the non-endorsements coming from the vulnerable House Republicans.

“Vulnerable House Republicans are too weak to break from Trump and his extremism,” DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton said in a statement. “No matter how often Donald Trump calls to repeal the Affordable Care Act, brags about overturning abortion rights, or threatens to upend our democracy, these so-called moderates will all ‘bend the knee’ to his toxic agenda, costing them the House majority.”

— Daniella Diaz, with assists from Lara Korte and Jordain Carney 

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Parents should be able to decide which apps are right for their teens.

Giving parents a say in which apps are right for their teens helps them support their teens in having a positive experience online.

That’s why Instagram wants to work with Congress to require parental approval wherever teens under 16 download apps.

Learn more.

GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, Jan. 26, where we are enjoying this unusually warm Friday in D.C.

BERGMAN SOUNDS OFF ON QATARIS

Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) is excoriating the Qatari government for what he calls the embassy’s “non-denial” of reports that the foreign nation planned to use spycraft to “target” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other lawmakers who have vocally criticized the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Rather than deal with the substance of the reporting, the embassy instead resorted to ad hominem attacks and non-denials regarding their well-documented history of engaging in hacking and spying on Americans who have criticized Qatar,” Bergman wrote in a new Dear Colleague letter obtained by Inside Congress.

Fox News first reported on the alleged Qatari plans — citing an “Endgame” document that the Qatari embassy vociferously denied. Bergman countered that the document “was simply the roadmap the Qataris followed just a few months later when they launched GlobalLeaks,” a hack-and-leak operation that reportedly intercepted communications between various U.S. leaders and UAE’s ambassador to the United States.

Bergman wrote that he believed the report was credible because “the Associated Press authenticated the document [in October 2022] and confirmed that it was the blueprint for GlobalLeaks” and “because the plans discussed in the document actually came to pass.”

In a sign that Qatar could soon face more scrutiny on Capitol Hill, Bergman closed his letter by encouraging “colleagues on both sides of the aisle to please reach out to me in the coming days … to build a bipartisan coalition to deal with the unique threat that Qatar poses to U.S. national security.”

— Daniel Lippman

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SOME GOOD NEWS FOR THE SPEAKER…

Conservatives in the House are frustrated with Speaker Mike Johnson, and Senate GOP leaders are pressing him to stay open to a border security deal while Donald Trump nudges him to reject it. But at least Johnson can say that most Senate Republicans are showing him grace.

Inside Congress asked them to rate the new speaker’s work so far and heard some pretty kind words. (Mostly.)

• “He's working his butt off. It's a tough job,” said Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in an interview. “He's doing everything he can to bring people together to get something done.”
• Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) likened Johnson’s role to “herding cats” and noted his razor-thin majority. “He's trying to get to a point where he can get people to agree on something,” the Alabama Republican said. “It's just hard.”
• “He is doing the Lord's work. I am telling you,” said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). “Anybody that can step up is doing a good job. I would not want that job.”
• “He's doing everything he can — we'll see how it goes,” said Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.). “But I would have to say, from what I've seen so far, he's an impressive guy.”
• Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said “I'm reserving judgment” on Johnson, but said a key test for his leadership will be coming up soon. “The real litmus test will be what happens with the spending bills,” he added. “I think most conservatives are horrified by the idea of an omnibus.”

— Anthony Adragna

A message from Instagram:

Pete Stauber didn't vote for the infrastructure bill, but is doubling down that a bridge in his district wouldn't have been funded by the bill without his advocacy.

QUICK LINKS 

In the wake of 2022 losses, Suzan DelBene eyes a comeback for House Democrats, from Marianna Sotomayor in The Washington Post

Why Democrats Are Lining Up To Oust One Of Their Own, from Tinashe Chingarande at NOTUS

MAGA Republican Joe Kent Got Donations From Alleged Jan. 6 Rioter, from Daniel Marans at The Huffington Post

YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. 

TRANSITIONS 

Kana Smith is now deputy director of legislative affairs for Vice President Kamala Harris. She most recently was deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.).

Jeff Rothblum is now director of cyber policy and plans in the Office of the National Cyber Director at the White House. He most recently was senior professional staff member for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Casey Peeks and Veronica Goodman are joining the Center for American Progress. Peeks will be senior director of early childhood policy and previously was director of federal policy at the Children’s Defense Fund. Goodman will be senior director for workforce development policy and previously was a policy adviser for Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.).

Kye Laughter is now regional director for Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.). He most recently was press secretary for Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.).

A message from Instagram:

Parents should be able to decide which apps are right for their teens.

Apps can teach teens skills or ignite their creativity. But with access to so many apps, parents should have a say in which ones their teens download.

That’s why Instagram wants to work with Congress to require parental approval wherever teens under 16 download apps.

Learn more.

MONDAY IN CONGRESS

The House is in session.

The Senate is out.

MONDAY AROUND THE HILL

Crickets.

THURSDAY’S ANSWER: Aaron Bill correctly answered that the two opposing side senators serving now went to the same Jesuit high school were Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Josh Hawley (R-Miss.) Hawley was valedictorian.

TODAY’S QUESTION, from Aaron: Which two members of the House in the 117th Congress attended the same Jesuit high school in Cleveland?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com.

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