Retiring Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., is warning his party "better be prepared for the worst" in the 2018 midterms as loyalty to President Donald Trump has become "litmus test" of the party.
"I've told my colleagues, 'Look, we're going to be running into a headwind. You better be prepared for the worst and hope for the best,'" Rep. Dent, a frequent critic of President Trump, told ABC's "This Week." "But be prepared for the worst because this could be a really tough year."
Dent added President Trump's nationwide stumping vow for Republicans in 2018 might have adverse effects in moderate districts, because of a rejection of the president.
"There are some areas of the country where he would not be very helpful, obviously," Dent told ABC News Congressional correspondent Mary Bruce. "And there's some where – I'm sure in some very ruby-red Republican districts – I'm sure it would be beneficial to have him come in for those candidates, but in some marginal swing districts in the Northeast, I suspect a lot of candidates probably would rather that he not visit."
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Dent maintained the "litmus test" for the Republican Party is no longer conservative "ideological purity and conformity" but mere support for the president's administration.
"Now the litmus test is changed," he said. "The issue is loyalty to the man, to the president, and for some, loyalty's not enough, you have to be angry and aggrieved."
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