Republican insiders think there are plenty of Democrats who President Trump could easily beat in 2020, while at least three could pose a serious threat.
Vanity Fair spoke with some of these Republicans on Friday, who seemed to agree that the biggest threat to Trump's presidency is former Vice President Joe Biden. In fact, these Republicans worry Biden could beat Trump fairly easily. As one strategist put it, that's partially because he "wreaks calmness and normalcy, which I feel like people crave over the chaos of the Trump administration."
Aside from Biden, Republicans also expressed concern about Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas). Even though O'Rourke lost his race against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in November, Republican insiders were "taking notes" and treating him "far more seriously" than one might think. One insider noted he's "problematic" because he could put states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and North Carolina "in play."
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Believe it or not, a third Democrat who strikes fear in GOP insiders is Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. Republican strategists reportedly feel he could have a similarly broad appeal as Biden.
There are a few Democrats who Republicans definitely don't feel threatened by, though, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The Republican operatives quoted by Vanity Fair feel that America is "still a center-right country" and thus they'd have an easier time running against a progressive. But if Democrats nominate a calm presence who is a bit closer to the center, they believe Trump could be in trouble.
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