Thread by @JakeSherman

>@PunchbowlNews AM:

“Get rid of them all.” Trump on a whole bunch of House and Senate Rs

We’ve been waiting for this moment because it gives us the opportunity to write about the challenges of this approach for Trump and for D.C. Republicans.

@PunchbowlNews For Trump: The principal question we have here is whether Trump is going to have the infrastructure and, more importantly, the sustained interest in launching and facilitating primary challenges against these Republicans.

@PunchbowlNews That would include endorsing & most likely clearing the field for candidates in various congressional districts across the country. Saying you want to get rid of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is one thing. But ensuring that Cheney or any candidate faces just 1 challenger is critical

@PunchbowlNews Remember: Many of the Senate Republicans Trump named are not real targets. Mitt Romney is up for election in 2024, and Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins and Ben Sasse are up for re-election in six years.

@PunchbowlNews Two of them -- Richard Burr and Pat Toomey -- are not running for re-election. In the Senate, the only real target is Lisa Murkowski, who is up in 2022.

@PunchbowlNews In the House, Reps. David Valadao (Calif.) , John Katko (N.Y.), Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.) and Fred Upton (Mich.) are all from moderate districts. Reps. Tom Rice (S.C.) and Cheney are at real risk.

@PunchbowlNews But if a bunch of Republicans turn out to claim the Trump mantle, the incumbent could easily prevail just on the strength of their name ID.

@PunchbowlNews Republican leaders have a series of thornier questions to answer in this Trump-versus-the-GOP universe. Will Republican leaders cut checks and raise money for these candidates?

@PunchbowlNews The @NRCC -- and that means @GOPLeader, a Trump ally -- put $3.1 million into Katko’s race in 2020 and $4.5 million into Valadao’s. If they make it through their primary, will the party continue to support them even though the leader of the party wants them out?

@PunchbowlNews @NRCC @GOPLeader Valadao is from a district not far from McCarthy. The NRCC under Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) will not get involved in primaries -- even to defend dues-paying members of the House R Conference. But many of these lawmakers will be looking to the NRCC for support in a general election.

@PunchbowlNews @NRCC @GOPLeader In other words, Trump’s anger is going to force a lot of recalibration.