Outgoing Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Sunday lambasted fellow Republicans who remain loyal to former President Donald Trump in the wake of a weak performance in the midterm elections.
The Maryland Republican and fierce critic of Mr. Trump blamed the ex-president for the party’s inability to retake the Senate and failure to win more House seats, as have other Republicans and prominent conservatives.
“It’s basically the third election in a row that Donald Trump has cost us the race, and it’s like three strikes, you’re out,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.”
Mr. Hogan, who is term-limited and will be departing the governor’s mansion, refused to support Dan Cox, the Trump-backed Republican who ran to replace him and lost to Democrat Wes Moore 62%-34.6%. He characterized Mr. Trump as the “800-pound gorilla” while advocating for the GOP to rally around other Republicans.
Mr. Trump is expected to announce his 2024 campaign for president on Tuesday as Mr. Hogan also considers a White House bid.
“I have been saying since 2020 that we have to get back to a party that appeals to more people, that can win in tough places, like I have done in Maryland,” Mr. Hogan said. “And I think that lane is much wider now than it was a week ago.”
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• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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