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** ”Craven” Kelly Ayotte struggles to navigate untenable political landscape **
Kelly Ayotte’s tortured past with Donald Trump is coming back to haunt her.
Al Baldasaro, a former state representative, co-chair for Trump’s veterans’ coalition in 2016, and advisor to President Donald Trump penned a vicious OpEd in the Union Leader today attacking Ayotte for her “betrayal of President Trump and the Republican Party,” saying her “spineless behavior and blatant disregard for party loyalty demonstrate[s] a fundamental lack of character and leadership.”
In 2016, Ayotte infamously said Trump was a “role model for kids.” After the Access Hollywood tape leaked, where Trump bragged about sexual assault, Ayotte “withdr[e]w her lukewarm support” of Trump. Eight years later, Ayotte has flip-flopped yet again and is now standing by Trump while he faces a criminal trial for giving hush money to an adult film star and faces 90 other criminal charges. Unfortunately for Ayotte, MAGA Republicans like Balsasaro haven’t forgotten her “betrayal” of Trump.
“Kelly Ayotte’s MAGA problems are just getting started. No matter how desperately Ayotte tries to pander to Trump’s Republican Party, MAGA extremists like Al Baldasaro won’t let her forget her past — and it’s going to make for an extremely nasty and divisive GOP primary,” said NHDP Chairman Ray Buckley.
Read excerpts from Baldasaro’s OpEd here:
As a former state representative, co-chair for Trump’s veterans’ coalition in 2016, and advisor to President Donald Trump, I have a duty to speak out when I see a betrayal of trust and conservative principles. It needs to be said that former United States Senator Kelly Ayotte cannot be trusted to support Trump [...]
Let me begin by highlighting Ayotte’s actions in 2016. During a pivotal moment in our nation’s political landscape, Ayotte did more than just withdraw her lukewarm support of the then-GOP candidate Donald Trump. She opted to prioritize her own reelection campaign over the unity of the Republican Party [...]
Instead of standing with her party’s nominee and working to secure victory for Republicans, Ayotte publicly criticized him, setting off a chain of events that led to her own electoral defeat [...]
Throughout the 2020 and 2024 primary seasons, Ayotte had ample chances to show her support for President Trump by attending events in New Hampshire. However, time and again, she chose to remain absent. What’s more alarming is her refusal to disclose who she even voted for in the primary. This lack of transparency is deeply concerning and casts serious doubt on her loyalty to Republican values.
Ayotte’s betrayal goes beyond mere absence. Her refusal to acknowledge President Trump by name and her shameful evasion of questions regarding her primary vote reveal a calculated political cowardice. [...]
Now, for Ayotte to suddenly campaign [...] [for] President Trump [...] is not only disingenuous but also insulting to the intelligence of voters. It’s a transparent attempt to garner votes, but it falls flat because no one is buying into her opportunistic tactics.
[...] Despite winning one election during a Republican wave, she betrayed her constituents time and again [...] Her actions speak louder than her hollow campaign promises; she is no ally to conservative principles.
[...] Kelly Ayotte’s actions in 2016 and her continued refusal to support President Trump are a slap in the face to every Republican who stood by their party’s nominee. Her spineless behavior and blatant disregard for party loyalty demonstrate a fundamental lack of character and leadership.
In conclusion, Kelly Ayotte’s betrayal of President Trump and the Republican Party cannot be understated. She has proven herself unworthy of the trust and support of New Hampshire Republicans. It is time for us to reject her false claims of conservatism and hold her accountable for her disloyalty. Kelly Ayotte cannot be trusted to stand by President Trump [...] and it is imperative that we send a clear message by rejecting her candidacy.
Al Baldasaro is a former state representative living in Londonderry.