Trump Will ‘Kneecap’ GOP Presidential Nominee if He Doesn’t Run, Ex-Republican Lawmaker Says

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Former Republican lawmaker David Jolly argued Sunday that Donald Trump would end up hurting the GOP presidential nominee in 2024 if he himself did not seek office.

“There’s no off-ramp for Donald Trump to be kind and empower the other Republicans behind him,” Jolly, a former Florida representative in the House of Representatives, said in an interview with MSNBC.

“He’s going to say he’s not running because the system is confusing and no one should participate, and he’s really going to confuse anyone who could be a potential Republican nominee behind him,” he added.

Jolly was one of many prominent Republicans who left the party after Trump took office.

During his appearance on MSNBC Sunday, host Alex Witt carried a poll conducted by Grinnell College showing Presidents Joe Biden and Trump tied in a thoughtful 2024 matchup.

The poll, published by Grinnell and Seltzer & Company on Wednesday, found that Biden and Trump each have the support of 40 percent of potential voters. The survey found that 14 percent of voters said they would vote for “someone else,” while 4 percent said they were undecided and 1 percent said they would not vote. Witt also said Biden’s support for independents has fallen.

Witt asked Jolly what he thought of the poll that took place and “the fact that these are Trump’s numbers after Jan. 6,” the date when supporters of the former president rushed to the U.S. Capitol.

Former Republican congressman David Jolly argued Sunday that Donald Trump would end up hurting the GOP presidential nominee in 2024 if he himself did not seek office. Above, Trump arrives for a rally on Oct. 9 in Des Moines, Iowa. Scott Olson

“I think there’s clearly an opportunity for Democrats to improve their messaging, their policy -making, and I think you’ll see a stronger Joe Biden a few years from now if he faces re -election.”

“But what it says is that it’s likely that Donald Trump could be the Republican Party nominee and he could win, but it’s a small chance. It’s someone who lost the popular vote twice, and in so Catch-22 for The Republicans is, if he decides to run and get the nomination, you’re going to ’24 with a missing candidate, ”he added.

Another poll released by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on Thursday found Biden with a thin margin over Trump in a speculative matchup. Of those surveyed, 42 percent said they would vote for Biden, and 40 percent said they would vote for Trump if they were candidates in the 2024 presidential election.

Trump has not formally announced that he will run in the next presidential election, but it has been suggested that he is seriously considering a second bid for the White House.

Newsweek reached out to Trump’s press office for comment.

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