Skip to content

Ben Sasse Doubts Donald Trump will Face a Real GOP Challenge in 2020

Says he will discuss possible 2020 Nebraska Senate re-election campaign next summer

Sen. Ben Sasse said he couldn’t envision voting for a new attorney general if Jeff Sessions is fired for doing his job. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Sen. Ben Sasse said he couldn’t envision voting for a new attorney general if Jeff Sessions is fired for doing his job. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Sen. Ben Sasse, who has at times criticized the style and substance of President Donald Trump, said Wednesday it was unlikely the president would face a strong primary challenger in 2020.

The Republican senator from Nebraska said that was because Trump, “has captured the majority of the Republican Party over the course of the last two-and-a-half years. The Republican Party electorate is pretty comfortable with the ‘anti’ positions that President Trump takes on a lot of issues.”

Speaking at a National Press Club luncheon, Sasse also said it was unlikely he could see himself making a run for the White House.

Sasse: Trump Has “Captured” Majority of GOP

[jwp-video n=”1″]

“I honestly spent 16 months cleaning up then two-year old baby vomit off the floor of a campaign bus, and the thought of doing that in 50 states instead of just 93 counties sounds absolutely terrible,” Sasse said. “So I think noxious weed control board of Dodge County, Nebraska, is the far more probable scenario for me.”

He also said he was intentionally not thinking about whether to run for the Senate again in two years.

“We said for the first four-and-a-half years of my six term, we would act like I’m never running for anything again, and we’re going to have a big family meeting — my wife and I will have an extended date in July-August of 2019 and think what future callings we think we have.” Sasse said of his family situation. “Right now, I have the two best callings, which is to raise three little kids on the road back and forth, and getting to serve the people of Nebraska.”

Recent Stories

Trump’s next attorney general pick meets with key GOP senators

Klobuchar poised to become No. 3 Senate Democrat

House Republicans can still investigate Bidens after Hunter pardon

Anna Eshoo looks back on 32 years in Congress

Biden lands in Africa, but US foreign policy now runs through Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate

Supreme Court sounds ready to back FDA’s e-cigarette rejection