Trump Criticizes Karl Rove for Supporting Democratic Candidate

<figure><img alt="Donald Trump" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/4EKTKK775FGV7IXEORTMCTXPMM.jpg?auth=99c7331b85ec7e9e4062f4089e20ac2e83f9e404a23816e0f19c2d0ad69ff232&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2847&amp;height=1602" /><figcaption>Magali Cohen/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>President Donald Trump criticized Republican strategist Karl Rove after Rove announced he would vote for a Democratic candidate for the first time in decades. This statement was made during a lunch event in Austin, Texas, where Rove expressed his intention to vote for Democrat Jon Rosenthal for state railroad commissioner over GOP candidate Bo French, whom he described as a "bigot."</p><p>Trump, 80, responded on Truth Social, stating, "Karl Rove is so bad for the Republican Party, and completely wrong so often. He suffers from a major case of Trump Derangement Syndrome primarily because, for almost 10 years, I beat back and won against so many of the people and things that he wanted and espoused." He further criticized media outlets for continuing to support Rove, calling him a "stone cold loser."</p><p>Rove's comments came after French made controversial remarks regarding South Asian students at the University of Texas, which drew bipartisan backlash, including from Texas GOP Senator John Cornyn. Despite the criticism, French defended his statements during a radio show appearance, labeling his detractors as "less conservative people."</p><p>Rove, 75, noted that the last time he voted for a Democratic candidate was in 1994. He has increasingly distanced himself from Trump, questioning the former president's strategies during his second term and criticizing his approach to the midterm elections. In a recent opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, Rove argued that Trump's focus on self-promotional ads and rallies could be detrimental to the GOP's success in the upcoming elections.</p><p>Rove suggested that highlighting GOP candidates instead of Trump in campaign ads would be more effective, stating, "Plastering his face on every screen in every toss-up race will make the midterms even more about him and tie those candidates to an intensely unpopular status quo."</p><video id="9lUz7FUa" poster="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/9lUz7FUa/poster.jpg"><source src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/9lUz7FUa.mp4" type="video/mp4" /></video>