Philip M. Bailey

Hey Dana, how are you?

Well, I think there are a few things to pay attention to here in Georgia's 14th congressional district that are good signs for President Trump, but also at the same time, if I'm someone close to him politically, I might be a bit worried.

So yes, he endorsed Clay Fuller in this crowded field of candidates to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia that included like 15 or so Republicans.

He endorsed Mr. Fuller, a former prosecutor, a cancer survivor, a veteran of the National Air Guard.

And at the same time, it didn't really clear the field.

None of the other Republicans dropped out, including former Georgia state legislator Colton Moore.

So you didn't see this clearing of the field that you would usually expect when the king of MAGA makes it clear who he supports in the race.

However, when you look at the results, it was very clear that once that cue was given, right, once voters, former Marjorie Taylor Greene voters saw that, they overwhelmingly went with Mr. Fuller.

He beat

Mr. Moore, by about three times as many votes, I think, in the final tally, to get about 36% of the vote, where he only got about 11%, and every other Republican got in the single digits.

But it does, Dana, show me, MAGA or not, America First or not, there are Republican candidates out there who see a future for themselves beyond President Trump, that he simply can't come into an area and declare, this is the person who I'm supporting, the rest of you need to get out.

We're seeing that unfold, for example, in the Senate race on the Republican side in Texas.

So the president's grip on MAGA, on the Republican Party, is still strong, but you are beginning to see some loosening areas.

And the area in the election we're looking at mostly is going to be the May 19th election in Kentucky, Kentucky's fourth congressional district, where Thomas Massey is facing a tough reelection battle in that primary.

Well, look, I think for Republicans, and you're already seeing from that retreat the House Republicans had this week, where they were told by the White House to tamper down on the mass deportation talk, instead focus on undocumented immigrants here in this country who have a violent offense or a violent criminal history, either in their home country of origin or here in the United States.

I think you're beginning to see that, and Speaker Mike Johnson spoke to this, you know, some weakening effects among Hispanic voters that Republicans are a bit worried about.

I think the affordability issue, the cost of living is still growing.

a major problem for particularly younger Republican men.

And then, of course, the most change we've seen in this past month in the president's direction has been the war with Iran, where gas prices have spiked.

I've heard from readers, Dana, who said that their gas prices have gone up in their area by as much as 50 cents.