The 'line of demarcation' that made this GOP rep 'most vulnerable' in Congress: report

Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania (Wikimedia Commons)
Maya Boddie
October 16, 2024Frontpage news and politics

In a Wednesday report published by The Atlantic, staff writer Russell Berman pinpoints "the narrative" that currently makes Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) "the most vulnerable Trump loyalist in the House."

Berman writes:

Perry, a former chair of the far-right House Freedom Caucus who was first elected in 2012, had reportedly done plenty to aid former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The FBI seized Perry’s cellphone in 2022, which led to the revelation of text messages showing his extensive attempts to install an attorney general who would help keep Trump in office. Perry’s preferred candidate was Jeffrey Clark, a now-indicted Department of Justice official whose main qualification was spreading claims of election fraud.

I started by noting that Perry was the one who’d introduced Trump and Clark. He cut me off.

'An introduction?' he said, incredulously. 'Is that illegal now?' Perry accused me of repeating 'a narrative that has been promoted by the left' that the mainstream media have refused to verify. 'Somebody said, Can you introduce me? I said sure,' he explained, saying it was no different than if he had introduced me to one of his aides standing nearby. 'So no, I’m not embarrassed.'

This "narrative," Berman argues, puts the swing state lawmaker in the "most vulnerable" position.

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"For a lot of normie, older Republicans, all that January 6 stuff was really a line of demarcation," Republican strategist Christopher Nicholas — a resident of Perry's district — told The Atlantic.

"Until this year, Perry had demonstrated even more political resilience than Trump; he outran him in 2020, winning his district while Trump narrowly lost Pennsylvania," Berman writes.

"That might not be the case in November. Both of their races are toss-ups," The Atlantic reporter continues. And with the Democrats vying for Perry's opponent — former news anchor Janelle Stelson — to defeat the MAGA congressman, Berman emphasizes "bigger underdog might be Perry."

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The Atlantic's full report is available at this link (subscription required).