donald trump

Hogan Denounces Delegate’s ‘Traitor’ Tweet, Says He Wants to Help ‘Fix’ GOP

January 12, 2021 by Maryland Matters

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) condemned comments from a “conspiracy theorist” in the House of Delegates and said comments from U.S. Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-Md.) contesting the 2020 election results, even after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, were “in really bad taste,” but said he doesn’t want to leave the Republican party.

“I don’t want to leave the party and let these people who did a hostile takeover four years ago take over. I want to stay involved,” Hogan said Tuesday.

Hogan has been talking about the issue with like-minded Republicans and plans to attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden (D) next week.

Asked about tweets by Del. Daniel L. Cox (R-Frederick County), including one in which he called Vice President Mike Pence a “traitor” while the U.S. Capitol remained under siege, Hogan pulled no punches.

“I don’t even know who Dan Cox is. I know he’s filed suit against us multiple times,” Hogan said. “He’s a QAnon conspiracy theorist who says crazy things every day. He called me a Communist Chinese spy for China. He called the vice president a traitor. He was down there gathering people at the capitol. I don’t even know what makes him think this way. But he’s certainly not the kind of person I would vote to put in the legislature or support in any way for anything.”

Later on Tuesday evening, people began sharing screenshots of photos of Hogan and Cox together, which Cox shared on social media in 2016 and 2018. On one of the posts, Cox wrote: “Very honored to be endorsed by America’s most popular Governor!”

Cox organized a caravan of three buses for his constituents to attend the Million MAGA March protest held in downtown Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. A lawyer, he spearheaded lawsuits challenging Hogan’s executive orders curtailing business operations because of the COVID-19 virus.

A day after reporting about his involvement in the D.C. rally, Cox issued a statement denouncing “all mob violence including those who broke into the U.S. Capitol.”

In his statement, Cox also said he was at the event where President Donald Trump addressed rally attendees but that the group did not approach the U.S. Capitol or participate in any violence and left early from D.C.

However, that was disputed Tuesday by a first-person account of the trip by Fred Propheter, a co-organizer of the excursion from the Frederick County Conservative Club. Writing for a conservative online publication in Frederick called The Tentacle, Propheter detailed the group’s “15+ block walk to the Capitol” and said some members of the group from Frederick were close enough to the frontlines of the encounter to be hit by tear gas and stray rubber bullets; he also wrote that the group “carried no terrorists or miscreants to the rally of over 1.5 Million Patriots and all 150+ made it home.”

Cox could not be immediately reached on Tuesday; a voicemail box associated with his law firm was full and not accepting new messages.

Hogan said there may be a move in the Legislature to censure Cox or take some sort of action, but the governor said he was not involved in those efforts.

Top House officials did not comment Tuesday. Complaints about lawmakers’ behavior are investigated by the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics.

Del. Kathleen Dumais (D-Montgomery), who is the House co-chair of the committee, said the committee has received inquiries about Cox’s tweets.

“I’ve certainly gotten some inquiries,” Dumais said. “If it’s brought to the committee we’ll have to talk about how to best handle it. But no decision has been made.”

Dumais said she found some of the language “personally reprehensible,” but it was unclear yet whether there was any violation of the legislature’s ethics rules. The committee would be limited to examining whether any of Cox’s actions rose to a level beyond protected free speech, she said.

Hogan was also asked Tuesday whether he agreed with calls for Harris to resign. Harris was among a group of Republicans who continued to contest Pennsylvania’s election results, even after the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

“It’s not up to me to tell Andy Harris what he should do. I obviously don’t agree with the comments he made, particularly after the insurrection, the attack on the Capitol, the threats to assassinate and murder the vice president, and after law enforcement officers and others died … the first time since 1812 that the Capitol’s been ransacked,” Hogan said. “I think it was in really bad taste. I don’t know what prompted him to say and do the things he did. But it’s not up to me to decide what he does with his political future.”

Harris issued a statement last week rejecting violence, defending his colleagues’ right to debate and denying that he would resign from office.

Despite the sharp words for some fellow party members, Hogan said he’s not likely to leave the Republican party as other high-profile figures like former Secretary of State Colin Powell have.

“There’s other leaders I’m talking with a lot in Washington and other state capitals who also agree. And I think it’s important for us to try to fix the party and make sure we go in a direction where we can actually have a healthy and competitive two-party system in America and that we can actually have a more positive hopeful message that’s going to attract more people,” Hogan said. “And that we can actually win an elections again. Rather than just giving up and walking out.”

By Danielle E. Gaines

Gilchrest Backs Trump Impeachment; Md. Lawmakers Call on Harris to Resign

January 12, 2021 by Maryland Matters

Two dozen former Republican members of Congress ― including Wayne Gilchrest ― are encouraging their successors to “protect American democracy by impeaching President Donald J. Trump.”

The letter was sent Monday and circulated by the nonpartisan watchdog group Project on Government Oversight.

“For more than 200 years, the peaceful transfer of power has been one of the pillars of American government. Sadly, this tradition has been severely tarnished,” the former members wrote. “There is no excuse for nor defense of a President of the United States to actively orchestrate an insurrection on a separate but coequal branch of government. Surely, the Founders would be sickened by the thought of such actions. As members of the branch that was under attack—not just politically but physically—you must remove the president from office.”

“Congress must send a strong and clear message not just to this president but future presidents that this type of behavior will not be tolerated or accepted,” the letter continued. “Frankly, the message also needs to be made clear to the American people that there is no place in politics for political violence.”

Other signers of the letter include former Virginia representatives Denver Riggleman and Barbara Comstock and former Pennsylvania representatives Charlie Dent and James C. Greenwood.

Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R-Md.). Harris Facebook photo.

Gilchrest represented Maryland’s 1st District as a moderate Republican. He lost the Republican primary to now-Rep. Andrew P. Harris in 2008 and went on to endorse Harris’ Democratic opponent Frank Kratovil Jr., who won the election and served one term before losing to Harris in 2010.

Harris has held the seat since.

Gilchrest changed his party affiliation to Democrat in 2019.

The letter was sent on the same day that 71 Democratic members of the Maryland House of Delegates and 13 state senators signed a letter condemning Harris’ comments about unfounded election fraud and calling for him to resign.

In the early morning after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Harris joined other colleagues in continuing to object to the certification of election results from Pennsylvania.

“Rather than recognizing that your words and behavior in office have damaged our democracy, have threatened our Constitution, and have undermined the nation you are sworn to, your response to the attack on our Capitol was to continue to use the same words and behavior,” the lawmakers wrote. “To vote with too many of your colleagues to undermine a free and fair election. To give comfort to the enemies of democracy within our borders and around the world.”

The morning after the vote, Harris defended his response in a public statement.

“I have routinely and consistently rejected violent protests, whether in the case of yesterday, or last summer. Democrats are calling for unity, yet also calling for the expulsion of Members who objected in yesterday’s Electoral College count. Today, some Marylanders are even calling for my resignation, which I will not do,” Harris said. “My colleagues and I held legitimate Constitutional concerns about how the November election was conducted in certain states and felt compelled to highlight those concerns during the formal vote count.”

By Danielle E. Gaines

Attack on Capitol Highlights Differences Between Maryland’s Top Republicans

January 8, 2021 by Maryland Matters

Maryland’s most high-profile Republican leaders — Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. and Rep. Andrew P. Harris — have never had much in common.

Hogan’s opposition to Donald J. Trump, for example, dates back to the president’s first campaign, while Harris has been a staunch Trump loyalist.

The two also ended up in different camps on COVID-19.

When the governor was taking aggressive steps to combat the spread of COVID-19 last year, the congressman, a physician, was speaking publicly against mask orders and the state’s limits on commercial activity and group gatherings.

But never have the differences between the pair been on bolder display than Thursday, in the aftermath of the storming of the U.S. Capitol. In many ways, it highlighted the broader ideological and tactical divides in the national Republican Party.

Hogan called the event “a heinous and violent assault” — and he said Trump bore blame for undermining the nation’s traditional transfer of power.

“Over the last two months, this sacred tradition has come under attack from our own president, who has chosen to fan the flames of hate and mislead millions of voters through lies and conspiracy theories rather than face the reality of his own defeat,” the governor said.

“There’s no question that America would be better off if the president would resign or be removed from office,” he added.

Hogan also pledged that the Maryland National Guard personnel he sent to Washington, D.C., to protect the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday would remain there through the inauguration, set for Jan. 20.

Harris, by contrast, made national headlines for almost getting into a fistfight with a Democratic colleague on the House floor early Thursday morning, as Congress was meeting to certify the presidential election results. According to a media pool report, the lawmaker taunted Democrats during debate, gesturing in a way that suggested a willingness to engage in fisticuffs.

Harris released a statement on Thursday that defended his opposition to the presidential vote count in several swing states. He did not condemn the rioters who terrorized the Capitol, nor did he fault Trump for his role in inciting the violence, as Hogan did.

“Democrats are calling for unity, yet also calling for the expulsion of Members who objected in yesterday’s Electoral College count,” Harris wrote. “Today, some Marylanders are even calling for my resignation, which I will not do.”

“My colleagues and I held legitimate Constitutional concerns about how the November election was conducted in certain states and felt compelled to highlight those concerns during the formal vote count. We did not call for the overthrowing of an election.”

As the nation reeled from the attack on the Capitol on Thursday, analysts noted the remarkable — and still growing — divide between Hogan, Maryland’s popular governor, and Harris, the 1st District’s doctor-turned-congressman.

“Hogan represents this decent, right-of-center pro-business kind of Republican that the party used to have a lot more of,” said Melissa Deckman, a political science professor at Washington College. “He’s not an ideologue. He’s very pragmatic. But he’s also very principled.”

Deckman said she found it “very disturbing” that even after the Capitol was overrun, the majority of House Republicans — including Harris — maintained “this charade of objecting to a vote count that everyone knew was not fraudulent.”

“It just goes to show you how extreme he is,” she said.

Republican strategist and CNN commentator Doug Heye described Harris as “one of those guys who talks about ‘we need to fight,’ but doesn’t have a plan.”

“Andy Harris was on the fringe on everything,” said Heye, a former communications director for the Republican National Committee. “This predates Trump. He was always ‘out there,’ and never productive.”

Hogan, Heye said, “is clearly a results-driven guy.”

Yet since winning his seat in 2010, Harris has never had to sweat reelection. Under Maryland’s gerrymandered congressional map, Harris’ 1st District, which takes in all of the Eastern Shore plus portions of Harford, Baltimore and Carroll counties, is a Republican stronghold.

Nevertheless, the Maryland Democratic Party on Thursday called on Harris to resign, and a former state legislator from Montgomery County who now lives in Harris’ district, Democrat Heather Mizeur, said on Twitter that she might take him on in 2022.

“@RepAndyHarrisMD we have found ways in the past to see common ground through our differences,” wrote Mizeur, who has largely stayed on the political sidelines in Maryland since running unsuccessfully for governor in 2014. “However, there is only one way to view your complicity w/ treasonous insurrection against our govt: you must resign immediately — or I will consider retiring you myself in 2022.”

With Republican lawmakers starting to turn on the president, and aides resigning in the wake of the attack on the Capitol, a full-scale GOP civil war is on.

Observers said it is too soon to say whether national Republicans who allied themselves with Trump will find their future political prospects diminished.

For the past several months, Hogan has worked to elevate his national profile and is widely seen as taking steps toward a possible White House run in 2024. But University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato told The Baltimore Sun last year that “the GOP would have to change drastically by 2024 for Hogan to have a real shot” at the party’s presidential nomination.

An overnight poll found that nearly half of all Republicans supported the storming of the Capitol.

Still, Deckman expects Hogan to get a fresh look in the wake of the week’s events.

“In many ways he’s very well-situated to become a leader in the Republican Party… depending on how this shakes out, because he has been a very consistent voice,” the professor said. “I think he represents what the GOP used to stand for a lot of ways.”

By Bruce DePuyt

Harris in Shouting Match on House Floor; Backs Objections to Arizona, Pennsylvania Electoral Votes

January 7, 2021 by John Griep

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.-1st, got into a shouting match on the House floor early Thursday morning during a debate over GOP objections to certifying the electoral votes from Pennsylvania in the 2020 presidential election, according to accounts from several reporters.

Pennsylvania was the second and final state whose certified electoral votes faced objections from Republican lawmakers during what is normally a routine process of Congress opening and reading the electoral votes from the states.

The debate over the first objection, to Arizona’s electoral count, came to a sudden halt early Wednesday afternoon after right-wing domestic terrorists broke into the U.S. Capitol building, forcing lawmakers to be ushered to safe locations as police took several hours to regain control of the building.

Photos and videos show the rioters breaking glass in doors and windows to enter the Capitol and overwhelming Capitol Police officers trying to keep them out. One woman was fatally shot by an officer during the melee, three others died as a result of medical emergencies, and numerous police officers were assaulted and injured by the mob that included some holding “Blue Lives Matter” flags purporting to support law enforcement.

The mob was incited by remarks made by President Donald Trump during an earlier rally in Washington, D.C.

Trump has repeatedly lied about the presidential election results, claiming he defeated Joe Biden in a landslide victory even though Biden handily won both the Electoral College vote and the national popular vote.

More than 50 lawsuits from Trump and others challenging the results have been rejected by state and federal courts across the nation, including by the U.S. Supreme Court. Many courts found the Trump lawsuits to be baseless, with no evidence supporting allegations of fraud.

As a result of the Wednesday afternoon attack on the Capitol, several Republican senators who had planned to join GOP congressmen in objecting to the results from six swing states opted to pull their support.

The objection to Arizona’s results was defeated 93-6 in the U.S. Senate and 303-121 in the House of Representatives, with Harris joining 120 Republican colleagues in support of the objection.

As the process continued, GOP objections to the results in Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada failed outright when not a single U.S. senator joined the dozens of congressional Republicans objecting to those states’ results. For an objection to be considered for discussion and a vote, at least one congressman and one senator must sign onto a written objection.

However, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, joined GOP colleagues in the House in an objection to Pennsylvania’s results.

According to a report from Maryland Matters and States Newsroom:

Shortly after delivering his own remarks challenging Pennsylvania’s election results on the House floor in the early morning hours, Harris was among lawmakers who ran toward each other during a heated debate and had to be separated by a Capitol Hill staffer.

“It didn’t materialize out of nowhere,” Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb (D) said of the unrest. “It was inspired by lies. The same lies that you’re hearing in this room tonight.”

Huffington Post reporter Matt Fuller tweeted that Harris was shouting “He called me a liar!” during the confrontation with Colin Allred (D-Texas).

Fuller later tweeted that a congressman said it was mostly Al Lawson, a Florida Democrat, and Harris in the argument, but Allred was among a group of members from both sides who converged in the aisle.

Several people commenting on Fuller’s tweet noted that Allred is a former NFL linebacker.

Below is a video of the comments Harris made during the debate on the Pennsylvania objection:

Nearly an hour later, Rep. Connor Lamb, D-Pennsylvania, spoke against the objection to his state’s electoral vote results. The argument involving Harris occurred during Lamb’s remarks and shouting can be heard on this video excerpt from C-SPAN.

As Lamb spoke, Rep. Morgan Griffith, a Virginia Republican, asked that his comments about Republicans lying be stricken from the record.

However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Griffith’s objection was not timely and Lamb continued his remarks by noting: “The truth hurts.”

CNN reporter Kristin Wilson tweeted that Harris and Allred yelled at each other: to “sit down” “no, you sit down” from across the floor, then confronted each other in the aisle as a dozen members from each side joined them.

The objection to the Pennsylvania results was defeated in the House on a vote of 282-138. Harris was among the 138 Republican congressmen to vote for the objection.

The final objection — to the results in Wisconsin — also failed when no senator joined the objection.

The joint session of Congress ultimately certified Joe Biden’s presidential victory with an Electoral College vote of 306 to 232 for Trump.

Harris and Griffith were the only two Republican congressmen who voted against seating the newly elected House members from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Forbes reported.

A Republican Texas congressman opposed to efforts to reject the presidential results had challenged the seating of those House members, arguing that any voter fraud in those states would also affect the congressional results, according to Forbes.

By voting against that challenge, nearly all Republican congressmen essentially acknowledged the legitimacy of the congressional results in those states. Yet, a few days later, many of those GOP lawmakers said the presidential election results in those very same states should be rejected.

Md. Police Head to D.C. as Armed Mob Storms U.S. Capitol

January 6, 2021 by Maryland Matters

Maryland police have been deployed to Washington, D.C., in an effort to restore order after an armed mob stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday as Congress met to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election.

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) tweeted around 3:45 p.m. that the Maryland State Police would deploy troopers to the capital and that the Maryland National Guard’s adjutant general is calling up a rapid response force to assist.

“All Americans should be outraged by this attack on our nation’s Capitol,” Hogan said in a statement. “This is a heinous and violent assault on the heart of our democracy. I will not stand for this, and neither should any American.”

Montgomery County Police teams were also on the Capitol grounds Wednesday afternoon.

Shortly after the Congress began the process to certify the results of the November 2020 election, the Capitol building was breached and lawmakers were evacuated to safer locations.

Hours earlier, President Trump addressed supporters at an outdoor rally and encouraged them to march to the U.S. Capitol.

His actions and rhetoric were condemned by Maryland lawmakers.

“This is a very sad day for our country,” Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D) tweeted. “Mr. President, tell your supporters to stand down before someone gets seriously hurt.”

Earlier in the day, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D) had spoken on the House floor against objections to certify the election results from Arizona.

“There were repeated efforts to barrel into the Capitol chamber,” Raskin said on CSPAN.

After the death of his son on New Year’s Eve, Raskin, a Constitutional law scholar, said he’d brought his daughter and son-in-law to D.C. with him on Wednesday to be together and witness “the peaceful transfer of power in the United States of America.”

“So what was really going through my mind was their safety because they were not with me in the chamber. And I just wanted to make sure that we could get back together,” Raskin said.

In the hours after the attack on the Capitol, Raskin said lawmakers were devoted to concluding the Electoral College vote count.

“Every single member I’ve spoken to is absolutely determined to have us complete the counting of the Electoral College votes as is demanded of us by the 12th Amendment of the Constitution. And everyone is absolutely determined that we will continue with the normal proceedings of the U.S. Congress and that any violent insurrection against the government of the United States will be put down and our Constitutional democracy will prevail,” he said.

“…We are going to go forward. If we’ve got to stay here all night, we’re going to go forward. If we’ve got to stay here all day tomorrow we’re going to go forward. And the next day,” Raskin said. “We are going to complete the counting of the Electoral College votes. We are going to swear in the new president of the United States.”

PBS News’ Lisa Desjardins reported late Wednesday afternoon that House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D) was in a safe location, as well as many other members of Congress.

The Capital Gazette reported that a spokesman confirmed Rep. John Sarbanes was safe.

The Maryland congressional delegation’s lone Republican, Rep. Andrew P. Harris, had joined efforts to object to the Electoral College certification. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the only way he’d publicly addressed the attack on social media was by retweeting Trump’s statements.

Hours after the storming of the Capitol commenced, Trump issued a video telling the protesters, “We love you.” But — after reiterating his baseless claims that the election was stolen from him — Trump urged calm.

“Go home, we love you, you’re very special,” he said.

At 4 p.m., Biden said the demonstrators’ actions bordered on sedition.

By Danielle E. Gaines

Supreme Court Denies Texas’ Request to Sue Other States Over Election Results

December 12, 2020 by Spy Desk

The nation’s highest court on Friday denied a request by the Texas attorney general to challenge the presidential election results in four other states.

Seven of the U.S. Supreme Court’s nine justices — including the three appointed by President Donald Trump — said Texas had no standing to sue another state over the manner in which it conducts its elections.

“Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections,” the majority ruled.

The remaining two justices — Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas — said the court had to allow the filing of any such “original jurisdiction” case, “but would not grant other relief.”

The Supreme Court usually only hears appeals, but has original jurisdiction as a trial court for particular cases, including when one state sues another. Lawsuits between states have typically involved boundary and water rights disputes.

Analysis Finds Harris Is Part of Trump’s ‘Unbreakable Wall’ in Congress

October 15, 2020 by Maryland Matters

President Trump probably views the Maryland congressional delegation as a vast wasteland of criticism and opposition.

But if he was only going to have one ally in the state, he couldn’t do much better than Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R), a comprehensive analysis of GOP members of Congress found.

The analysis was conducted by Axios, which looked at how Republican members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have responded to various Trump controversies.

Harris earned a “Trump Loyalty Score” of 88 and he voted 93% of the time with the president. Not quite a perfect 100, but good enough for a fifth-place tie in the entire Congress.

The voting index relied on data from FiveThirtyEight.

The loyalty score analyzed what lawmakers said — if anything — during seven of the president’s “biggest crises”: the “Access Hollywood” recording during the 2016 campaign; the travel ban on people from Muslim-majority nations early in Trump’s presidency; his comments about the racial violence in Charlottesville, Va.; his “s—hole countries” remark; the “go back” tweet directed at women of color serving in Congress; his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which led to his impeachment in the House; and his use of government forces to stage his Bible photo-op in June.

Axios produced a checkerboard grid that links to each lawmaker’s response — or non-response — to those events.

For his part, Harris either agreed with the president’s actions or words, offered a couple words of mild criticism followed immediately by an ad hoc condemnation of various Democrats (Hillary Clinton, for example), or he refused to say anything.

A hard-charging conservative who knocked off fellow Republican Rep. Wayne Gilchrest in 2010, Harris’ fealty to Trump is well-chronicled.

Like the president, Harris has been a vocal supporter of reopening the economy, despite the pandemic.

Trump endorsed Harris after the congressman spoke approvingly about the much-criticized violence against protesters near the White House on June 1. Not that he needed the boost.

Harris won a fifth term in 2018, when he defeated Democrat Jesse Colvin handily. The incumbent, a physician and former state Senator, received 60% of the vote. Colvin, a military veteran, received 38%. Harris is heavily favored over another military veteran, Mia Mason, in November.

Trump carried Harris’ Eastern Shore district with 60% of the vote in 2016. Clinton received 35%.

Through a spokesman, Harris declined to comment on the Axios story.

For the record, the Republican members of Congress who were deemed even “Trumpier” than Harris: Wisconsin Rep. Glenn Grothman; Georgia Sen. David Perdue; Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz; and North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer. Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert tied Harris for fifth.

By Bruce DePuyt

Steele’s Deal with Lincoln Project could Affect his Maryland Ambitions

August 30, 2020 by Maryland Matters

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele’s decision to join a high-profile anti-Trump organization this week was yet another reminder that many of the president’s harshest critics are members of his own political party — people who in some cases have spent their entire careers working to elect GOP candidates.

The day Steele formally became a senior advisor for the Lincoln Project, co-founder Rick Wilson, a veteran Republican consultant, called him “a singularly insightful and effective political leader.”

“Many principled Republicans have rejected Trump and Trumpism, but few with such a remarkable track record of electoral success,” Wilson added, pointing to GOP gains in Congress during Steele’s tenure as head of the party in 2010 — and his own history-making victory, when he was elected lieutenant governor in 2002, becoming the first African-American ever elected to statewide office in Maryland.

The group’s ads, which take direct aim at Trump’s policy failures and his divisiveness, are funded through donations. They have been praised for their creativity and have reportedly gotten under the president’s skin.

While Steele’s decision to join the Lincoln Project may be a coup for the organization — and provide Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential bid a boost — it could come back to haunt the former lieutenant governor should he decide to seek future statewide office, GOP insiders say.

“It definitely conflicts with where the party is as a whole,” said Del. Matthew Morgan (R-St. Mary’s), a Trump supporter.

Said Fred Price Jr., a member of the Prince George’s County Republican Central Committee: “If he was going to run for governor, he’d have to run as a Democrat or Green Party. I think he’s closed the door to the Republican Party.”

“Mike made that move a long time ago,” Price added. “It’s a different party.”

After four years as lieutenant governor and stints as Maryland and Prince George’s GOP chairman, Steele was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2006, losing to now-Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D).

Morgan, an assistant minority leader in the House of Delegates, disputed Steele’s claim that he hasn’t formally endorsed Biden.

“You are endorsing Biden. He is,” the lawmaker said. “You can’t have it both ways. You have a defined choice and you need to pick a side.”

On his podcast and in an interview with Maryland Matters, Steele discussed how he arrived at his decision to formally oppose the president’s re-election.

As he questioned whether the president has the “leadership, decency” and adherence to “Constitutional norms” to lead the nation, he said he was reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King’s warning that “our lives begin to end the day we become silent on the things that matter.”

Trump “has turned the party from an honorable political movement rooted in principle and core philosophies into a cult of his personality,” Steele said.

“Instead of fighting for [the] future, Republicans gave credence to a man who traffics in conspiracies, fear, racism, xenophobia, misogyny. … For me, it matters that our republic is teetering on the brink of nationalism and authoritarianism. It matters that our president openly suggests that he won’t accept the results of a free and fair election.”

The former RNC chair also accused the president of trying to “hijack our election, weaken our franchise, and deal a fatal blow to the experiment that has been the American experience.”

Steele has yet to decide whether he will run for governor in 2022, when the office comes open due to term limits, or whether he will continue to serve as a consultant and MSNBC commentator.

A Washington, D.C., native who was attracted to Ronald Reagan as a teenager, Steele, 61, is aware that his attacks on Trump, who retains the support of the vast majority of the GOP base, could come back to bite him.

“I’m willing to take that risk, whether it’s now or with a future opportunity,” he told Maryland Matters. “People who know me, I’ve been consistent. I’ve not wavered from the values and the beliefs that I have.”

“As far as future electoral prospects, I’ll trust people on that. If they reject me because I rejected Trump, it says more about them than it does me, because I’m the same guy. And I get it. I’m fine.”

Trump is “a very flawed man with no set of principles or guiding ideology. Why would I turn over 40 years of what I believe and what I’ve fought for and taken a lot of slings and arrows on behalf of, to capitulate to that?”

Steele said is still in touch with party insiders, many of whom, he said, express confidence that the GOP can simply shake off the Trump experience when it’s over.

“It’s not going to be that simple,” he counsels. “And it’s not going to be easy at all.”

By Bruce DePuyt

99 Questions for Rep. Andy Harris

July 27, 2020 by Maryland Matters

The United States is in turmoil.

The nation is experiencing a massive spike in COVID-19 cases at a time when other nations are getting their outbreaks under control.

Unidentified federal forces used violence against peaceful protests near the White House last month to facilitate a presidential photo-op, while armed federal police are conducting operations on the streets of Portland, Ore., and other U.S. cities against the wishes of state and local officials.

Calls to reform policing have gone mainstream in the wake of the deaths of unarmed Black Americans.

The nation is in a trade war with China and the budget deficit has never been higher.

The COVID-19 crisis produced an unemployment spike not seen since the Great Depression and there are fears of an eviction crisis that could leave countless families homeless.

President Trump has stoked white nationalist sentiment, strained relations with U.S. allies and uttered more than 20,000 false or misleading statements, according to a Washington Post analysis.

The president refuses to say if he will accept the results of the November election.

In short, the country is divided, angry and on edge.

Although Trump’s approval numbers are the lowest of his presidency, and Republican strategists and donors worry that a landslide victory for former vice president Joe Biden in the White House election could cost the GOP the U.S. Senate, the president has at least one loyal friend among Maryland officials.

Rep. Andrew P. Harris, the only GOP member of Maryland’s congressional delegation, has stood by the president every step of the way.

He stands in contrast to Maryland’s most prominent Republican, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr., who has been unafraid to criticize Trump and has upped his criticisms as the COVID-19 crisis drags on.

We wanted to ask Harris, one of a small number of physicians in Congress, about the state of the nation, but he declined repeated requests for an interview.

We’ve decided to list those questions here. Maybe the congressman will choose to answer some of them after we’ve published. But even if he doesn’t, they serve as a kind of time capsule of where this country is right now – and vital issues our leaders ought to be addressing.

Are you at all concerned about the use of unidentified federal police to make arrests in cities like Portland? Have you relayed your concerns to anyone in the government?
On Monday, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf defended these tactics, telling Fox, “I don’t need invitations by the state, state mayors or state governors to do our job. We’re going to do that whether they like us there or not.” Do you support the administration on this?
Would you like to see federal personnel on the streets of Baltimore City? Why or why not?
On June 1, federal authorities mowed down peaceful protesters near the White House 30 minutes before that night’s curfew went into effect. Shortly after the violence, President Trump strode across the street and held a bible aloft. Do you have any concerns about this incident?
Do you know who the police agencies were or who gave the order to trample the protesters?
Do you think police officers and vehicles should have some kind of identification, so individuals and units can be held accountable for their actions?
The day after the violence in Lafayette Park, your Maryland colleague, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D), a constitutional scholar, said: “During this period we are seeing law enforcement officers who are working with great integrity and courage. … We are also seeing law enforcement officers who are disgracing themselves. Ultimately the truth will be known and the vast majority of the American people stand against these police-state tactics. This is not America. This is not our Constitution. This is an affront to everything that we believe in.” Any reaction?
The president did not speak that night in Lafayette Square. He just held the bible aloft in front of a church he does not attend. You’re a religious man – what message do you think he was he sending?
Gov. Hogan wrote that President Trump “bungled” the federal response to the coronavirus epidemic. CNBC’s Jim Cramer called it a “disaster” — one of the worst self-inflicted injuries in modern times. These criticisms are hardly those of partisan Democrats. What do you make of their critiques?
For the first five months of the crisis, President Trump only wore a mask one time, on a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Given how important masks are, has he fumbled the opportunity to demonstrate leadership, slow the virus and save lives?
Do you agree with the decision early in the Trump administration to disband the White House unit on infectious diseases?
Gov. Hogan said it was a huge mistake for the president to sideline Dr. Anthony Fauci. Is he right?
Maryland is in a much better place than states like Texas, California and Arizona when it comes to confirmed COVID-19 cases. Why do you think so many states are seeing their infections spike?
You are a physician, but you were the only member of the state’s congressional delegation not to sign a letter, on July 17, asking the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to extend the Public Health Emergency (which he did on Friday). Why not?
Do you think the public health emergency has passed?
Many other advanced nations have gotten their COVID-19 crisis under control. Why do you think the U.S. is such an outlier?
You were the featured speaker at a Reopen Maryland event in early May. Given the outbreaks we are seeing in much of the country, do you think now that Gov. Hogan was right to adopt a cautious reopening plan?
Are Maryland’s largest jurisdictions right to take an even slower approach to reopening than Gov. Hogan has recommended?
Are you comfortable with local governments setting their own approach on reopening?
Our grandparents fought and died in World War II; millions who didn’t serve in uniform made daily sacrifices for the common good. Have we lost our ability to pull together as a nation?
On July 9, President Trump said concern about on-site school instruction is “political nonsense. And it’s only political nonsense; it’s politics. They don’t want to open because they think it will help them on Nov. 3.” Do you agree with the president?
Before President Trump last week canceled the portion of the Republican National Convention that was supposed to have taken place in Jacksonville, Fla. Had you been planning to attend?
If you were planning to attend, would you have worn a mask when you were indoors?
The Lincoln Project put together a video that juxtaposes Vice President Mike Pence’s optimistic statements about the virus against a graphic showing this summer’s spike in infections. Given his track record, is the vice president credible when he makes statements on COVID-19?
Was President Trump wise to host a rally in Tulsa, Okla., without social distancing?
Oklahoma is one of the reddest states in the country. If he is rallying support there, does that suggest his campaign in trouble?
Have you seen the video of campaign aides removing social distancing signs prior to the Tulsa rally, so the president wouldn’t become angry? If so, given your medical training, what’s your reaction?
The president has written that “the reason we show so many [COVID] cases, compared to other countries that haven’t done nearly as well as we have, is that our TESTING is much bigger and better. We have tested 40,000,000 people. If we did 20,000,000 instead, Cases would be half, etc. NOT REPORTED!” Do you agree with the president’s argument?
Would it be better if the U.S. did no testing, so we would have zero reported cases?
On Tuesday, the president told reporters that his administration is “in the process of developing a strategy” to combat the pandemic. Why do you think he waited until July 21 to begin this work?
Did people die as a result of his delay?
The governor of Georgia has gone to court to ban local governments from implementing mask laws. Do you believe this is sound policy?
Do you support White House efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act in the middle of the pandemic?
The Affordable Care Act has resulted in the first drop in the number of Americans without insurance ever. What would you put in its place?
Has President Trump done enough to show sympathy for the loss of life as a result of the pandemic?
Has the president done enough to thank the health care professionals who have been laboring through this crisis?
President Trump is pressing schools to open this fall. On July 17, his spokeswoman said, “When he says open, he means open and full, kids being able to attend each and every day at their school. The science should not stand in the way of this.” Is it clear to you what she meant by this?
Do you think schools should hold in-person classes this fall?
The president uses the term China Virus – and you have referred to it as the Wuhan Virus. There are numerous reports of Asian-Americans being verbally attacked by fellow Americans who apparently blame them for COVID-19. What is your reaction?
After the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, President Trump said there were “good people on both sides.” Do you agree?
To many Americans, the president’s “good people on both sides” comment betrayed his responsibility to stand against hate. What do you say to them?
Do you believe climate change is real?
Do you believe that the causes of climate change are mostly man-made?
A new study shows that sunny-day flooding is increasing dramatically, with the potential for major impacts along the Eastern Shore and countless other communities in the not-too-distant future. Why is this happening?
Under what conditions would you support wind turbines off the Maryland coast?
The federal Bureau of Land Management sold leases on 139,079 acres in Utah to oil and gas companies, over the objections of environmentalists. Should historic land be sold off for energy production?
Why did you support the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of the Paris international climate agreement?
You spoke out against the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan. What should the U.S. do to limit carbon emissions from U.S. power plants?
After Greta Thunberg was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year, President Trump publicly mocked the 16-year-old teen climate crisis activist, saying she has “anger management” issues. Was this appropriate?
The president has repeatedly said that if America shifts to vote by mail, Republicans will be hurt. Do you agree, and if so, why?
Cynics have said that on this topic, the president “said the quiet part out loud.” Do you share their concern?
The president has said there is rampant fraud in mail-in voting. Do you agree, and what evidence can you cite?
If a convicted felon has served his or her time, should their right to vote be restored automatically — or should they be forced to take additional steps?
You were the only member of Congress from Maryland not to issue a statement when Rep. John Lewis died on July 18. He was a colleague of yours — and a hero to many. Why were you silent?
In the wake of the death of George Floyd and others, do you believe that police should undergo retraining?
Do you believe we have a systemic crisis in law enforcement?
Gov. Hogan said it was “disgraceful” and “extremely damaging” of the president to say that “more whites” than Blacks have been killed by law enforcement officers. What’s your view?
Should police chokeholds be banned?
The president once told a group of police officers “please don’t be too nice” when making arrests. Are you in agreement with that view?
Why did you vote against the resolution this week to remove the statue of Roger B. Taney and others associated with the Confederacy or white supremacy from the U.S. Capitol?
Gov. Hogan has said that — no matter who wins in November — the Republican Party needs to conduct a re-evaluation of its voter-outreach efforts. Do you have any concern that the party’s base is shrinking?
Would you like to see someone in the Trump mold — perhaps one of his children — offer themselves up as a potential future leader of the party?
Secretary of State — and potential 2024 White House hopeful — Mike Pompeo flew to Iowa for a series of events at taxpayers’ expense. Do you think this was appropriate?
The president’s tax cuts caused the deficit to spike. Was this a surprise to you?
Republicans controlled all three branches of government for the first two years of President Trump’s term. Should the party have done more to rein in spending?
What are the consequences to the country of running up huge deficits?
The president pledged to hire “only the best people,” but his administration has seen far more turnover than any recent administration. Can you explain this?
Why are some of the president’s most prominent appointees now among his harshest critics?
President Trump pledged to build 500 miles of new wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He has built only 200, almost all of it replacement for existing segments.The Washington Post recently called it a “troubled vanity project.” Does it surprise you that a man who made his fortune as a developer is struggling to fulfill this promise?
Smugglers have sawed through and climbed over parts of the new barrier. It is also said to be eroding. Would you support an investigation into why the wall isn’t more effective?
The Washington Post recently wrote: “It’s hard to say which looks worse for the president — the massive waste of money that has been diverted from Pentagon construction projects to build his porous wall, or the corruption that has marked the process.” Which do you think is worse.
Recently Mr. Trump has criticized the group of his supporters who privately financed the wall, saying it was “only done to make me look bad.” Any idea what he meant by that?
Mitt Romney, the Republican Party’s nominee for president in 2012, said withdrawing 10,000 U.S. troops from Germany would be a “very bad idea” and a “slap in the face” to a key ally. He said it is a “heck of a time to give a free gift to Russia.” Is he right?
President Trump has consistently lavished praised on “strongmen” — leaders with bad human rights records — while creating rifts with our closest allies. Any thoughts on this?
What do you think of reports that Russia put a bounty on the heads of U.S. servicemen, payable to the Taliban?
The president used the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office to hawk Goya products after the CEO of that company endorsed him. Federal officials are not supposed to do this. Was the president wrong to post that photo
According to The Washington Post, the president has made 20,055 false or misleading statements in 1,267 days in office. Do you think it’s important for the president — any president — to tell the truth?
Mr. Trump withheld U.S. aid to Ukraine unless that country’s president began a probe of Hunter Biden. Is this how our system is supposed to function?
Should the presidential debate commission require candidates to release their tax returns and health records as a condition for participating in debates?
The president has gone to great lengths to shield his tax returns from public view. Why do you think that is?
Do you have any fear that the president has taken actions contrary to this country’s interests due to foreign entanglements or embarrassments from his past?
The president said the federal government spied on his campaign in 2016, calling it “a very grave crime. It’s the biggest political crime in the history of our country.” Have you seen any evidence to support Trump’s claim?
The Justice Department has had more than three years to look into this charge. Are you disappointed they DOJ officials have yet to bring charges?
The president has repeatedly said his hotels bill the government $50 per night per room.The Washington Post has done extensive reporting and can’t find a single bill for $50. Reporters have found many rooms that have cost hundreds of dollars per night. Do you think the president is misinformed or choosing not to be honest?
Do taxpayers deserve a refund from the Trump Organization?
Should the president have instructed the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom to try to get the British Open held at his golf course in Scotland?
Your colleague, Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), received major criticism last week for referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) a “f—ing b—-” in the presence of a colleague. What was your reaction to that news?
Are things more tense than usual on Capitol Hill these days?
What do you think of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who has been criticized by some of your colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus even though she votes with President Trump 96% of the time?
Would you like to see the Supreme Court invalidate same-sex unions?
Do you think the nation is weakened when a presidential candidate who gets fewer votes than his or her opponent wins?
Would you favor national redistricting reform?
Did you support the president’s decision to grant clemency to Roger Stone?
Are you worried about escalating diplomatic and trade tensions with China?
Sean Hannity asked the president what his goals were for the next four years. He didn’t seem to have any. Did that surprise you?
Would you encourage Gov. Hogan to run for president in 2024?
Steve Schmidt, who ran John McCain’s presidential campaign in 2008, recently said, “When you listen to the President, these are the musings of an imbecile. An idiot. And I don’t use those words to name call. I use them because they are the precise words of the English language to describe his behavior. His comportment. His actions. We’ve never seen a level of incompetence, a level of ineptitude so staggering on a daily basis by anybody in the history of the country whose ever been charged with substantial responsibilities. It’s just astonishing that this man is president of the United States.” As a physician, do you worry about the president’s mental state?
Has the president said or done anything of substance with which you disagree?
Columnist George F. Will, a close friend and supporter of President Reagan, laments that, “In 2016, the Republican Party gave its principal nomination to a vulgarian and then toiled to elect him. And [stocked] Congress with invertebrates whose unswerving abjectness has enabled his institutional vandalism, who have voiced no serious objections to his Niagara of lies…” Mr. Will didn’t name you specifically, but… any regrets that you haven’t shown more willingness to call out the president for anything?What do you think a second Trump term would mean for the country?

By Bruce DePuyt and Josh Kurtz

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