Today I had a wide-ranging conversation with Scott Greenlee. I asked him about his experience as a political consultant, how exactly he would go about raising funds for the party (he says we will need $30-40M), whether he would press charges against Karamo and her team if they find evidence of criminal wrongdoing, and his background and relationship with John Yob.
Scott took even the tough questions with poise and professionalism.
Some commentary on the other two candidates that I have not yet interviewed:
While I would be happy to interview Jim Runestad if he reaches out to me, his announcement of Bernadette Smith as his running mate proves he is not a serious candidate. Smith is a director for The America Project, has a long history with Mike Flynn and his network, and was a strong supporter of Kristina Karamo. Further, Runestad is a state senator, which is a full time job, and he claims he can do both jobs at the same time. Most delegates I’ve spoken with do not believe it would be remotely wise to have a part time MIGOP Chair in this 2026 cycle.
If he did come on, I would drill into whether he is working with Mike Labadie, and if the purpose of his run is to secure the Karamo supporters and Christian Nationalists within the party as a voting block that can be shifted to another candidate at the convention.
That candidate would be Meshawn Maddock, who I have been critical of on X for the language in the announcement she sent out of her endorsement by Turning Point Action, and her relationship with Patrick Lee.
Mindi Tietz has been interviewing the candidates in an excellent X thread. Over this last weekend, she posted this question, which was directed primarily towards Maddock.
Mindi was referencing this article, which shows that Patrick Lee has been sanctioned in Ohio and barred from fundraising for charities there for severely misappropriating funds raised to support the victims of the East Palestine train disaster. I have spoken to party operatives who have raised concerns about how Lee has used his position as a regional director of Trump Victory to build his consultancy business in the five states he oversaw, including Michigan.
Warren Carpenter claimed on X that Patrick Lee called Warren to tell him not to oppose Meshawn because Lee was supporting her and he claimed he was going to secure Trump’s endorsement. It does not appear that Trump will make an endorsement in this race, especially after Joe Cella announced his run, who is personal friends with Trump’s campaign managers, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles.
Meshawn herself responded to Mindi’s question with defensiveness that suggests that she is working with Lee, even as she claimed she has not “hired” Lee.
Stranger still, is Meshawn’s statement that all that matters to her is winning. That sentiment is reminiscent of Dick Cheney, who said, “Principle is okay up to a certain point, but principle doesn’t do any good if you lose.”
The pursuit of short term victories at any moral or ethical cost is exactly what most Americans hate about politics.
While I know Meshawn and Matt Maddock personally and like them, I am also concerned that she would have a repulsive effect on moderates and independents, whose support we need in order to take back Michigan in 2026.
A prime example:
All this said, I still hope that Meshawn will agree to come on. I’ll have a lot of questions for her, and if she does win I’ll do my best to support and work with her as we work to liberate Michigan from Democrat control in 2026.
As we prepare for county conventions tomorrow, we have a lot to pray about and contemplate.
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