Fox News accidentally suggests Republican women should primary Trump in 2020

Cosmopolitan magazine ignited a firestorm on the right when they released an innocuous enough list of women who had “generated 2020 buzz” as presidential contenders — featuring only Democrats.

Because naturally, only Democrats are looking at running a campaign against Donald Trump, in the hope to make him a one-term president.

Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) all made the cut, as did businesswoman Sheryl Sandberg and media empress Oprah Winfrey.

But the exclusion of Republicans caused conservative media to cry foul so loudly that they completely overlooked the fact that we have a sitting Republican president, who presumably will be up for re-election in 2020 — if he makes it that far.

HUNTSMAN: But does the media play a role though? Do they have a responsibility to at least point out Republican women when, as we just showed on that list, they could have easily mentioned a few Republican women on that list.

MCINTOSH: Well, I think if that list had included Republican women, it would have been really uncomfortable for the women they put on it. Suggesting that Nikki Haley might primary the president whose cabinet she sits on is not something that she wants. So I think that we’re not going to see a lot of Republican women —

STUKEY: But it’s not only Nikki Haley.

MCINTOSH: No no, I think we’re not going to see a lot of Republican women in 2020 lists because we have a sitting Republican president. But the media should definitely call out Republican women when they do great things.

It ought to be obvious to the right: Any Republican, male or female, generating 2020 buzz would be attempting to primary their own party’s leader. Which, to be honest, Democrats would absolutely love.

So, in the interest of mollifying both the conservative media and the liberal base, here are my picks for 5 Republican Women Who Should Absolutely Primary Donald Trump in 2020:

1 — Nikki Haley. Sure, she’s Trump’s U.N Ambassador, and primarying her boss would be peak awkward. But after years of defending the Confederate flag as governor of South Carolina, she made an adult move and took it down in the wake of the Charleston church shooting. Hopefully, that about face means she doesn’t love the white supremacist agenda Trump advocates from the White House.

2 — Senator Susan Collins. The Lady from Maine was one of the first hard ‘no’ votes on the GOP’s unpopular plan to repeal Obamacare, citing the defunding of Planned Parenthood and the outsized number of Mainers who would be left uninsured. Collins just might have enough heart to take on her president.

3 — Nicolle Wallace. The Republican operative turned MSNBC anchor was one of the loudest voices condemning Trump’s sexist attack on a female journalist. She’d make a principled and formidable opponent on a debate stage.

4 — Carly Fiorina. While the businesswoman’s 2016 campaign for president never really took off, she was head and shoulders above the guys at dealing with Trump’s name-calling.

5 — Ivanka Trump. If she’s actually concerned with generating “I Disagree With My Dad” headlines, this would be a truly marquee way to prove it.

So there you are, guys: An all-Republican, all-woman 2020 list. And this is just a tiny sample of the thousands of Republican women who could stand up and challenge the sexist, boorish, infantile bully currently using the office of the presidency to degrade and demean women.

And as the voices of Republican women get louder and their actions get stronger, we will absolutely commend their bravery. This may just become a regular feature. Thanks for the suggestion, conservative media!

And you’re welcome.