Some in GOP begin testing party's lockstep loyalty to Trump | TheHill

And on Saturday, Glenn YoungkinGlenn YoungkinSunday shows preview: Democrats' struggle for voting rights bill comes to a head Youngkin inaugurated as first GOP Virginia governor in over a decade Overnight Energy & Environment — Lummis holds up Biden EPA picks MORE became the first Republican since 2010 to be sworn in as Virginia’s governor after running a campaign that kept Trump at arm's length.Less than two months before the 2022 primary season begins, Trump remains the most popular figure among the voters who will decide which Republicans advance to the fall general election. But the recent dynamics bring new clarity to the debate that will likely animate the GOP all year: how closely candidates should align themselves with Trump and his election lie.“I was very encouraged by the response from a number of different senators supportive of Sen. Rounds,” said former New Jersey Gov. Chris ChristieChris ChristieThe 10 Republicans most likely to run for president Chris Christie tries again 'The people' isn't a thing MORE, who has been a rare Republican urging the party to move on from Trump and his election obsession.There is no evidence to support Trump’s claims that the election was stolen. The further to the right that Republicans go now, the easier it could become for their Democratic rivals to portray them as extreme in a general election.And any time candidates spend looking backward is time not spent attacking President Joe BidenJoe BidenSunday shows preview: Democrats' struggle for voting rights bill comes to a head David Weil: Wrong man, wrong place, wrong time  Biden's voting rights gamble prompts second-guessing MORE, who is seen as particularly vulnerable due to rising inflation and coronavirus cases.“It’s one of those issues that’s quintessentially popular in a primary and unpopular in a general," said Chris DeRose, a Republican attorney and former clerk of the superior court in Arizona's Maricopa County.He said candidates, who often privately acknowledge the election was fair, were clearly courting the former president by expressing skepticism about the 2020 election.“Donald Trump’s obviously the most sought-after endorsement among Republican candidates," he said.