By Illinois Review
Disgraced Chicago Republican Party Chairman Steve Boulton is digging in his heels and attacking this publication for reporting that in 2016, he compared Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler, calling the revelations a “smear campaign” as party officials, including state party chairman Don Tracy and Illinois Republican National Committeeman Richard Porter remain silent – refusing to address their friend’s vile comment.
Porter, who endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president and spent time in Florida raising money for his failed campaign, is quietly trying to weasel his way into Trump’s inner circle at the Republican National Committee after his close friend Ronna Romney-McDaniel was forced out as RNC chairwoman by Trump. Porter has yet to endorse Trump publicly and during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair last August, Porter took the bait – feeding the Democratic narrative that Trump is running for president to avoid going to jail during an interview with the Chicago Tribune.
In 2022, Porter endorsed and served as “honorary” co-chairman and senior advisor to Richard Irvin’s failed campaign for Illinois governor. During the primary campaign, it was reported by WTTW’s Paris Schutz that in 2018, Irvin sent text messages calling Trump an “idiot” and a “bigoted racist.” Irvin also texted the friend, “I hate Trump too!” Irvin would lose the primary to the Trump-endorsed candidate by 43 points. During an IL GOP meeting with over 200-conservative grassroots activists in attendance a few months after the November 2022 election, Porter called Irvin a “great Republican.”
IL GOP Chairman Don Tracy’s family-owned business Dot Foods, where he is an owner, have made some political donations that tell an interesting story. In 2020, owners of Dot Foods made a $6,193 donation to presidential candidate Joe Biden, and in 2022, owners made a $3,900 donation to US Sen. Lisa Murkowski and a $4,900 donation to US Rep. Rodney Davis.
Sen. Murkowski remains one of former President Trump’s most vocal critics. After January 6th, she supported his impeachment and removal from office. On January 9, 2021, Murkowski said, “I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage.” In 2020, US Rep. Rodney Davis was one of 35 House Republicans to support the January 6th Commission to investigate the attack on the US Capitol – a move that angered Trump. Davis also said publicly that Trump needed to “grow up” and in 2016, he withdrew his endorsement of GOP nominee for President Donald Trump.
When President Trump visited Illinois in June of 2022, neither Porter or Tracy bothered to show up – choosing to skip the event altogether – despite serving as the Republican national committeeman for Illinois and chairman of the Illinois Republican party.
Boulton, who remains close friends and an advisor to Porter and Tracy, isn’t denying his 2016 comments comparing Trump to Hitler – choosing to attack this publication instead – telling his very few friends that “nobody is buying” this “smear campaign” against him. Chicago GOP officials have called a special meeting for this Sunday after IR’s reporting on the Hitler comment to replace Boulton as chairman. But as expected, Boulton is deploying fear and intimidation tactics to try and prevent a quorum on Sunday where they hope to replace him as chairman.
Boulton secured just 24 votes as a write-in candidate during March’s Primary after failing to submit the required signatures to earn a spot on the ballot as a local Republican Ward Committeeman.
Over the last year, Illinois Review published several articles exposing Boulton as a man with anger issues who constantly attacks his fellow Republican ward committeeman and grassroots conservatives, including women – and who believes that if you are unvaccinated, then you should pay for your own hospital costs – and if you require lifesaving measures due to COVID-19 – the resources spent to save your life would be a “waste” of money.
In November 2023, the North Dakota Republican Party chairman accepted the resignation of state party executive director Dave Roetman after an article was published that exposed some of his past social media comments where he was “demeaning toward women and dismissed concerns raised by Black people about racism.” In announcing his resignation, the outgoing executive director said,
“I think that recent events have been a distraction for the party, and I just don’t want it to be a distraction. We need to have a strong party, and I’m just going to take a different path here.”
In local media interviews, North Dakota Republican Party Chairwoman Sandi Sanford said she was “very disappointed” by Roetman’s past social media posts. Sanford also shared that she told Roetman that, “This is your content. You’re an adult, you’re going to have to deal with responding to it.”
As of publication of this story, both Porter and Tracy have refused to address Boulton’s comments comparing Trump to Hitler. Silence on the issue sends a message to local and national Republicans that perhaps the state party leader’s agree with the comparison. The Biden-Harris campaign certainly does. In December 2023, the Biden campaign posted a graphic on X comparing Trump to Hitler, writing, “This is no coincidence.”
Porter and Tracy’s refusal to disavow Boulton’s Hitler comparison risks the flow into Illinois of money and resources from the RNC, now run by Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump and others aligned with Trump’s campaign.
