MAGA supporters shaded the numerous primary challengers to former President Donald Trump after he won the Iowa caucus handily.
Bemoaning the number of debates, the advertising spends, and the months campaigning, Trump fans declared it $250 million wasted, roasting his primary adversaries like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Vivek Ramaswamy, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who all finished behind Trump, despite both DeSantis and Haley outspending him on campaign advertising.
To say nothing of the money spent by the long-gone campaigns of Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and former Vice President Mike Pence.
In response to Trump’s quick Iowa caucus win on Monday night, his supporters latched on to the notion that the effort to oust Trump as the 2024 nominee is an exercise in futility.
In particular, MAGA supporters glommed on to the idea that the GOP wasted $250 million—an amount similar to what’s been reportedly spent by the party and the candidates, excluding some $50 million by Trump.
“They wasted $250 million on this stupid primary that they could have used to [build] a ballot harvesting organization,” a Trump supporter tweeted on Monday night. “DeSantis can never be trusted again!”
“Let’s rally around Trump .. unless ppl want Biden !” another MAGA voter tweeted. “No point in spending any more money on primary -250 million wasted which could have been used to run ads against Biden.”
Some targeted their frustrations toward Ronna McDaniel, the chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), and called for her removal from the post, despite the spend coming from candidates and not the party.
“@GOP you wasted 250 million dollars on the debates, the caucuses, on Vivek, Desantis, and Haley. @GOPChairwoman has to go. You could have save the money for the actual election,” a Republican voter tweeted. “Remove her immediately.”
“Ronna McRomney has got to go,” another Republican voter tweeted. McDaniel is U.S. Senator Mitt Romney’s niece. “$250 million wasted on RDS and Haley.”
The animosity toward the RNC has been palpable this election cycle, but the $250 million wasn’t from its finances, but rather candidates’ own spend on ads.
Nevertheless, Trump fans directed their ire at the RNC, who they blamed for essentially allowing candidates to run against Trump and not stacking the deck for him.
“Republicans have already wasted $250 million on a pointless primary,” tweeted author John LeFevre. “It’s time to stop the charade and focus all resources on winning with Trump in November.”
However, while Trump fans think the entire primary season is now unnecessary, and he does hold a commanding lead in polls, many candidates have not won the Iowa caucus and gone on to take their party’s nomination.
Most notably Trump himself, who lost Iowa in 2016 (but continues to insist he won).
