Senate Democrats’ campaign chief: Trump a ‘motivating factor for turnout’

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chair of Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, credited former President Trump for Democratic turnout in the midterms and said Trump could continue to be a problem for Republicans.

“There’s no question that Donald Trump is a motivating factor for turnout when it comes to Democratic voters,” Peters said in an interview with NBC’s Sahil Kapur.

Democrats secured a razor-thin majority in the Senate in the midterm elections by flipping Pennsylvania’s seat and defending vulnerable incumbents in Nevada and Arizona.

In Georgia, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) will face Republican Herschel Walker again in a Dec. 6 runoff that could either expand Democrats’ majority.

“This is historic,” Peters told NBC. “For the party in power in the White House, and given where we are with inflation and other factors, to not lose a seat right now — I believe we will gain a seat — is truly historic.”

Trump had endorsed the Republican nominees in those four states during the primaries, and some in the GOP have pointed blame toward the former president for the party’s worse-than-expected performance in the election. 

Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly touted the number of his endorsed candidates who won their general election contests.

Peters told NBC that Trump, who formally entered the 2024 presidential race last week, could continue to cost the GOP.

“It depends what the party does,” Peters told the network. “If the party continues to be following the Trump model and is Trumpian and doesn’t go back to their more conservative roots of the traditional Republican Party, I will say, definitely that’ll be a problem.”

No other major candidate has formally entered the race to challenge Trump for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination, but multiple prominent Republicans are considering a bid.

Trump in recent days has attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is seen as a potential contender, while former Vice President Mike Pence has said he will discuss a potential campaign with his family over the holidays.

Other Trump administration officials, including former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have recently visited key primary states as well.