By Michael Bielawski
An ad by Vermont MAGA-brand conservative Gregory Thayer suggests that all conservatives unite behind Republican Governor Phil Scott, especially based on their shared concerns for the economy.
“Governor Scott is the only thing standing in the way of Vermont being Socialist government,” it states. “He needs our help under the Golden Dome. We must ‘Get Out The Vote’ to Elect Common Sense Republicans.”
The ad marks a rare olive branch between what has sometimes been a bitter divide between Trump’s supporters and the governor’s more mainstream positions. It features photos of Scott, Gerald Malloy who is a GOP candidate for U.S. Senate, as well as Trump and Vance.
Thayer, who ran unsuccessfully in the primary for the Republican lieutenant governor ticket against Democrat-turned-Republican John Rodgers, is best known among mainstream media followers for attending the J6 Washington DC protests regarding the highly disputed 2020 presidential election.
Scott, although highly critical of Trump for incivility and some policies, has remained in general agreement with Trump supporters on economic issues. Thayer notes some of the economic policies he opposes.
“They’ve increased DMV fees by 20% across the board; they increased our Internet fees; voted themselves a pay increase and benefits package; and they are increasing your home + business heating costs by $4.00 per gallon by trying to electrify Vermont,” he wrote. Thayer also notes that property taxes are up 14% and a new payroll tax proposal.
Scott expressed a similar sentiment on these matters.
“Following a year with a 20% increase in DMV fees, a $100 million payroll tax, and a looming property tax increase of more than $200 million, raising taxes to cover the gap you created would be an astounding – and reckless – burden on Vermonters who already faced a high cost of living here in Vermont,” Scott wrote in March regarding the FY24 Budget Adjustment Act.
Thayer’s ad specifies support for the statewide GOP candidates.
“Join us in getting out the vote for real common-sense thinking Vermonters for our State Legislature, and start at the top of the ticket for President and VP, Governor, U.S. Senate and so on,” it states.
Scott is the most popular governor in America within his state. The Boston Globe notes, however, that most of his support comes from the opposing party.
“A Republican in the bluest state in the union, Scott has led Vermont through COVID and historic floods with understated competence, repudiating Donald Trump and the national GOP brand, making him more popular with Democrats than Republicans in the Green Mountain State,” the article states.
Matters separating Scott from Trump supporters include their opinions regarding the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, Scott also voted for Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Another example is abortion, Scott holds a 100% approval rating with Planned Parenthood, a rare position for a GOP politician.
On the national scene, CNN’s Harry Enten is the latest mainstream media voice to note that a Trump victory is appearing likely. Enten wrote on X on Wednesday, “If Trump wins, the signs were there all along. No incumbent party has won another term with so few voters saying the country is on the right track (8%) or when the president’s net approval rating is so low (Biden’s at -15 pts). Also, big GOP registration gains in key states.”
The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle