The Point: Senate Republicans already have a Donald Trump problem
 March 31, 2021 | by Chris Cillizza, Lauren Dezenski and Allison Gordon Senate Republicans already have a Donald Trump problem in 2022  Over the past 10 days, two things happened that make clear that a) Trumpism isn't going anywhere and b) it's going to complicate Republican attempts to retake control of the Senate next November.
The first is that former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R), who resigned from office in 2018 amid a series of allegations of sexual and campaign misconduct, is running for the open Senate seat of Roy Blunt (R).
Both Greitens and Brooks made sure to mention their support for former President Donald Trump in announcing their candidacies.
"They need somebody who's going to go as I will, as I'm committed to do, to defending President Trump's America First policies and also to protecting the people of Missouri from Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer's radical leftist agenda," said Greitens of Missouri voters.
So, Greitens and Brooks are in. And that is a major problem for the likes of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who badly wants to become Senate MAJORITY Leader Mitch McConnell following the 2022 election.
Why? Simple. Both Brooks and Greitens, by dint of their unstinting loyalty to Trump -- not to mention their high profiles in their states -- will likely start as the frontrunners for the respective Republican nominations in both states.
Which is the problem. Because, for different reasons, Greitens and Brooks could well put what should be safe Republicans seats in some jeopardy if they wind up as the GOP nominees.
Greitens, after all, resigned under pressure as governor following revelations of a 2015 affair with a woman who testified under oath to state lawmakers that she felt forced into sexual acts by him -- and that he had threatened to make public explicit photos of her unless she stayed silent about the affair. Greitens admitted the affair but denied the other allegations.
On Brooks' part, he has been perhaps the single most outspoken advocate of the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen. He was the first member of Congress to announce that he would object to Electoral College certifications in a handful of states. He spoke at the January 6 "Stop the Steal" rally that led to the insurrection at the US Capitol. And even in the aftermath of that riot, Brooks insisted, without evidence that left wings groups like Antifa had been behind the riot.
Now, it's not at all clear that either man's past statements and background will be disqualifying for voters -- either in a Republican primary or a general election. And in both Missouri and Alabama, the Republican candidate -- no matter who it is -- starts off with a clear advantage in a general election against a Democrat.
But remember that in order for Republicans to retake the Senate, they need to pick up at least one Democratic seat while not losing any one their own. And while Brooks and Greitens could well hold these two states for Republicans, they each have considerable weaknesses as candidates that could force the national party to spend money to get them over the finish line.
And every dollar (or million dollars) spent to hold Missouri or Alabama is a dollar not being spent on turning a Democratic seat in Arizona or Georgia or Nevada.
The Point: Winning the Senate majority isn't just about flipping competitive seats. It's also about putting away what should be non-competitive seats early in the election. The candidacies of Greitens and Brooks will make doing just that much harder for Republicans.
-- Chris QUOTE OF THE DAY "I will deal with it if anything comes to be true." -- Republican Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy on reports Rep. Matt Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and is being investigated by the Justice Department. Gaetz denied the charge and claimed it was part of an extortion plot against him. MEANWHILE, IN NEW YORK  Recreational marijuana is now legal in the Empire State.
State lawmakers acted remarkably quickly to legalize possession and use of up to 3 ounces of marijuana for adults over 21 in New York, effective immediately. The embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed it into law on Wednesday morning.
The law establishes a regulatory body that will create licenses for producers and distributors, meaning New York will get its own slate of dispensaries like neighboring Massachusetts and New Jersey.
It also removes prior marijuana convictions that would be legal under the new law -- a key criminal justice component for many advocates.
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MUSICAL INTERLUDE The pandemic has been eventful one for Lumineers multi-instrumentalist Jeremiah Frates. He moved to Italy and released an album of ambient piano music. This week he put out a brand new track called "when the party's over".  Today's episode: Inside Biden's expansive infrastructure bill. THE OTHER VOTING RIGHTS TREND Since the 2020 election, more than 250 bills to limit voter access have been introduced in at least 45 states – with the first signed into law in Georgia last week imposing a roster of new restrictions.
This week, three small (but mighty?) exceptions to this overwhelming trend emerged – and it's not always where you'd expect:
Still – Republicans in key states continue to advance bills to restrict ballot access, many of them citing former President Donald Trump's false and unsubstantiated claims of election fraud as a reason to tighten the rules around voting.
-- Sonnet
🚗 TRIVIA PIT STOP  Question: Who was the first US president to ride in a car?
a. Grover Cleveland
Send your answers to cillizza@cnn.com and lauren.dezenski@cnn.com!  ONE BIG CALL LINE 1 million The number of people who have called poison control with Covid-19 related questions, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers on Tuesday. You are receiving this message because you subscribed to CNN's The Point with Chris Cillizza newsletter. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get The Point in your inbox.
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