Trump 'Consumed by Spite,' Says GOP's Tom Rice After Ex-President's Attacks
NewsweekSep 09, 2022
Trump Publicly Feuding with GOP Rep. Tom Rice
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Image copyright: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images [via The Guardian]
The Facts
Former President Trump took to the stage at a rally in Florence, South Carolina on Sat night, where he attacked Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC), calling him a "total fool" and "disaster."
Rice, who has represented SC's 7th Congressional district since 2012, was one of 10 Republican members of Congress who voted in favor of Trump's impeachment for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
Tom Rice is a grandstanding Republican-in-Name-Only (RINO) who committed political suicide when he decided to team up with the Democrats to betray the Republican Party by voting to impeach Trump.
Democratic narrative
Rice took a brave stance and chose country over party when he cast a vote to impeach the disgraced former president for his lies about election fraud and his efforts to incite an insurrection to retain power. Perversely, that kind of courage is grounds for disqualification in today's GOP.
Conservative narrative
Trump's rhetoric against Rice and another SC contender, Nancy Mace, may potentially backfire and challenge Trump as the "Big Daddy" of Republican politics. Rice and Mace may still win in SC as Democrats and independents are allowed to vote in the state's primaries. With the help of these Democratic interlopers, Trump's reputation could take a bruising.
