Newsweek

Trump Challenger Bill Weld on the AG and Secret Senate Anti-Trumpers

Weld, the former Massachusetts governor challenging Donald Trump, has a lot to say⁠—and he isn't shy about saying it⁠/
The challenger William Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts, is one of two Republicans running against Donald Trump in a bid to be the party’s presidential candidate in the 2020 election.
PER_Weld_01_1157603153_Banner

Everybody, well most everybody, knows former Massachusetts Governor William Weld has mounted a primary challenge against Donald Trump along with ex-Teaparty Congressman Joe Walsh from Illinois. And everybody knows he⁠—and Walsh—have a snowball's chance in hell of winning. Almost 90 percent of Republican voters are sticking with the president. More than half of them believe he is doing a better job than Abraham Lincoln. And to make matters worse, some state Republican parties have already responded by fending others off with cancelled primaries.

Weld has a lot to say⁠—and he isn't shy about saying it⁠—from Attorney General William Barr's extreme view of executive branch powers to the secret anti-Trumpers in the U.S. Senate.

He's still worth listening to, in other words.

Weld's long political career spans five decades, from Nixon's impeachment and includes stints in both houses of Congress and Reagan's Justice Department. Politically, Weld, 74, belongs to a species⁠—the moderate, country club Republican⁠—rarely seen in the wild in recent years, and presumed by many to have gone extinct or at least dormant. His combination of liberal positions on social issues (pro-choice) and pro-science views (believes climate change is a man-made emergency) and fiscal conservatism is a throwback to another era. He contends that once Trump is out of office, either by impeachment or by losing an election, Republicans will look on the Trump years as a bad fever dream. Even so, he thinks the GOP could be so badly divided by the Trump experience that it will not survive, but split into two

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Newsweek

Newsweek4 min read
Five Ways to Keep Your Dog Healthy
We want our beloved dogs to live a long life, but also a healthy one—not least to keep the bills down. The American Kennel Club reported that the average lifespan of small dog breeds is between 10 to 15. The beagle, a popular breed, has an average li
Newsweek4 min read
Wildlife Crossings Are a Bear Necessity
A MOOSE, A DEER AND A FOX walk into a tunnel. It might sound like the setup for a joke, but it’s a scene that wildlife ecologist Patricia Cramer captured while studying how animals use wildlife crossings. “This bull moose comes into the culvert in th
Newsweek4 min read
We’re Struggling to Afford Our Furry Friends
THEY’RE OUR BEST FRIENDS, part of the family and a source of endless comfort, joy and laughter, but pets are also becoming increasingly pricey companions for Americans. A majority of 72 percent of pet owners responding to an exclusive Redfield & Wilt

Related Books & Audiobooks