Trump loyalists in South Dakota turn on home state senator

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

By STEPHEN GROVES
2 hours ago

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Longtime South Dakota Republican voter Jim Thompson is ready to leave the GOP, hoping that an exodus of Donald Trump supporters like him will punish the state’s preeminent politician, Sen. John Thune, for defying Trump.

Thompson, a retired rodeo announcer and broadcaster, watched Trump’s calls for supporters to come to Washington to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s election victory and he saw the ensuing assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 . But as Congress tries to hold Trump accountable for his actions, Thompson sees an agenda to banish the former president from politics and return the party to establishment figures such as Thune, the second-ranking GOP leader in the Senate.

“We were tired of the way things were going, we were tired of political answers and spin,” Thompson said.

Thune was among the Republicans who condemned the insurrection at the Capitol, calling it “horrific” and pledging to “hold those responsible to account.” But like most of his GOP colleagues, the senator this past week signaled he was not speaking about Trump.


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-south-dakota-pierre-elections-9d222929b080274c98232f3fd2179f33

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"Longtime South Dakota Republican voter Jim Thompson"

[mrs_p]

1. Typical repub up here. They are totally

In for Trump. I’m not looking forward to the media devotion to them the next four years like they have been for the last four years.

Where are the stories on black and brown people saving our democracy. I’m soooo tired of these losers.

[mdbl]

2. Typical Repuglican Moron on the radio

He will support a bunch of Marjorie Taylor Greene types in the next election. He better keep being a big weirdo or he'll lose ratings. We have a couple in Georgia like that. They can't allow themselves to be too normal or they'll lose all their moron listeners and advertisers.

[Dakota Flint]

3. South Dakotan republicans

are a special type of moron, exhibit one...the SD governor

[SharonAnn]

8. Yep.

[aggiesal]

4. This could split the (R) vote between Trumpettes and normal (R)'s ...

Are there any normal (R) in South Dakota?

[Hortensis]

5. Have to be careful what I wish for, but if only Trump would form a MAGA party.

He's warned Republican senators that could happen if his trial doesn't go as he wishes, claiming his goal in 2022 would be to win back the house and senate for them if it does.

[TwilightZone]

9. He was never going to start a third party.

It was never going to happen, and everyone knows it. If he wants to make a political comeback, his only conceivable option is through the GOP.

[cstanleytech]

10. Trump was a death touch in Georgia for the GOP senators.

So, question is are the Republicans willing to risk committing even more seppuku for a person whom some of them despise?

[Hortensis]

13. Almost all really are a mixture of unprincipled cowards who'd do

anything to stay in power and authoritarian followers to their cult leader. Those with any guts and substance were almost all purged and replaced with these. So, it's always been no to honorable seppuku.

I sort of agree with Twilight that Trump's best course would seem to be maintaining his stranglehold on the GOP, if McConnell and company can't get rid of him -- until he finally kills it and tosses and dumps the body. But nothing he does is entirely competent or consistent, or free of vindictiveness. And we don't know what we don't know.

[Cosmocat]

18. Why would he do that?

Whatever Rs who have SOME light in their soul aren't staying the party to fight for it, they are leaving it.

And frankly, there are VERY few of them.

Everyone who is remaining either is really into where the party is going or callous enough to stay in it and play the game they need to play to keep getting elected/make $ off the conservative gravy train.

The GOP has rolled over and given him its belly.

It's over, it is is his party.

[Grokenstein]

6. "We were tired of the way things were going..."

"...so we crawled into bed with Nazis and mobsters, and we ain't crawlin' back out, ever. We like it here."

[TwilightZone]

7. "tired of spin"

So, we jumped on the bandwagon of the biggest liar in the history of American politics who did absolutely nothing in five years *but* spin.

Good job, moron.

[cstanleytech]

11. Still amazes me when I hear some people claim he was a great president.

Of course when you ask them to be specific they become defensive and start blustering. Why? Because they actually cannot think of a single thing he has done that has actually been good and they are simply parroting what they have been told by the right wing media.

[TwilightZone]

15. Not just great. The best ever.

And, yes, they can't come up with any reasons why.

[cstanleytech]

16. Makes me want to ask them if they want a cracker.

[OldBaldy1701E]

17. The only thing I have ever been told in reply

was basically a bunch of appropriation of Obama stuff and a few outright lies. They have nothing. They have had nothing but their own avarice and greed, and they have lost the ability to make it sound like something reasonable and intelligent. They are a blight on our country and must be ended.

[Cosmocat]

19. You gotta understand what they are saying when they say these things

it is like the "no more bullshit" flags and banners.

Yes, to you and me 45 is a relentless bullshit spewing gatlin gun.

But, to these people what they are saying is they are tired of all the whistling at white supremacy, bigotry, mysogny, gay bashing, etc. They want the party to be a full on chrisofascist hate party - the Gaetzs, Greenes and Boeberts are what they want.

[bronxiteforever]

12. "Retired rodeo announcer".

How can anyone get past that?

[FSogol]

21. Fixed it for you: "Retired rodeo clown".

[bronxiteforever]

22. 👍

[yaesu]

14. more ho hum news about a nobody, nobody ever heard of, they are a legend in there own minds

dinosaurs that will die off soon.

[Cosmocat]

20. Unfort they are not going to die off - quite the opposite

This thing is growing and getting worse ...

[lonely bird]

23. Republican voter Jim Thompson...

Is tired of spin and lies?

Jesus H. Christ on a pogo stick, wtf did he think Trump was doing for the last 4+ years?

How willfully stupid can someone be?