Republicans tasked with taking back the Senate in 2022 are preparing for a contentious primary season, fearful that former President Donald Trump could use his popularity inside the party to back candidates who could struggle in statewide races.

Trump has long been drawn to backing candidates who have shown unending allegiance to him and Republican operatives believe that desire, especially after losing the presidential election in 2020, will be unchanged two years later. But the fear among some operatives is that Trump will be even more of a free agent outside of the White House, less willing to bow to pressure that party leaders like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell put on him to back candidates they believed have better chances to win statewide races.

That fact, combined with how bad 2018 will be for Republicans, makes a year in which both the House and the Senate are represented by Republicans as an historic year for political history. Not having the White House for the last 12 legislative years will become a big asterisk in terms of political significance. With Donald Trump occupying and not moderating the public political conversation, the GOP might not have another opportunity in a while. And that opportunity will involve their own party losing seats in 2018.

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