“Amidst his deteriorating relationship with national Republicans and the White House, Kevin Cramer is airing his grievances left, right, and center,” said American Bridge spokesperson Amelia Penniman. “And desperate to explain away his miserable fundraising and low-energy campaign, Cramer has zeroed in on a new theory: women. This primary day, North Dakota voters are faced with sexism and whining — not exactly a winning combination.”
Washington Post: ‘It’s obscene’: GOP candidate seethes as Trump embraces Democratic senator
By Sean Sullivan | June 11
- “President Trump is aggressively campaigning for Republican Senate candidates around the country and belittling their Democratic rivals, with one notable exception — Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota.”
- “Trump’s affinity for Heitkamp, who got a shout-out and a handshake at a recent White House bill signing, has frustrated top Republicans..No one has felt it more acutely than GOP Rep. Kevin Cramer.”
- “Upset, Cramer contacted White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly to appeal for political help and traded warning shots with Trump’s legislative affairs director, Marc Short.”
- “Cramer says he believes Trump is giving Heitkamp preferential treatment because she is a woman.”
- “Have you ever watched the video? It’s obscene,” said Cramer of the video of Heitkamp at a White House bill signing.
- “‘If Marc Short was very good at his job, you know, we’d have a repeal and replacement of Obamacare,’ Cramer said in a surprising display of animosity toward a White House official.”
- “This upset Short, who quickly brought the interview to the attention of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.”
- White House Legislative Director Marc Short: “I think [Cramer is] better spending his time focused on his opponent than on a White House staffer who has zero percent name ID in North Dakota. But that’s up to him.”
- “Searching for reasons to explain Trump’s friendliness toward Heitkamp, Cramer offered one theory. ‘I do think there’s a little difference in that she’s a woman,’Cramer said. ‘That’s probably part of it — that she’s a, you know, a female. He doesn’t want to be that aggressive, maybe. I don’t know.’”
- “‘Well, that wouldn’t explain Claire. I think she’s a woman, right?’ Heitkamp said, referring to Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), whom Trump has criticized. ‘That theory falls apart almost immediately.’”
- “Short offered an even more pointed response. ‘Remind me who the president ran against for the presidency,’ he said, referring to Hillary Clinton.”
- “For Cramer, the wait for Trump to campaign with him continues. ‘It’d be fun to have him out. And I expect he’ll come to North Dakota,’ Cramer said. ‘He promised me he would.’”
Read the full story here.
More coverage of Cramer’s primary day:
Splinter: North Dakota GOP Senate Candidate Mad That Trump Loves His Democratic Opponent
Grand Forks Herald:Commentary: It sure seems like President Trump just snubbed senate candidate Kevin Cramer
Published: Jun 13, 2018