Some Republicans who haven’t received President Donald Trump’s endorsement are using him in their ads.
Despite some disagreement over the military action in Iran, Trump’s influence over the Republican Party is strong. His endorsement can help carry candidates to victory as MAGA supporters aim to vote in those who will help advance the president’s agenda.
Jesse Hunt told Fox News Digital that Trump’s endorsement “is king in any primary.” Veteran GOP consultant Matt Gorman agreed, saying it is “an undeniable force.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, is among those who have seen Trump endorse his primary opponent. The president has backed Rep. Julia Letlow, but that hasn’t stopped Cassidy from using Trump in his campaign ads.
“But since the start of Trump’s second term 15 months ago, Cassidy has been supportive of the president’s agenda and his nominees,” Fox News noted. “In his first campaign commercial after Trump endorsed Letlow, Cassidy, a doctor, highlighted a bill he authored that passed into law and increases penalties for criminals convicted of manufacturing and distributing fentanyl.”
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In Texas, longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn is fighting for his political life as he faces off in a late May primary runoff election against state Attorney General John Paxton, who is a MAGA firebrand and major Trump supporter.
ADVERTISEMENTWhile Trump has stayed neutral in the showdown between the two Texas Republican titans, Cornyn has repeatedly spotlighted his support for Trump in his statements and on the campaign trail. He has also figuratively hugged the president tight in his ads.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, has been a vocal critic of Trump, but last month “spotlighted an old picture of himself and Trump smiling together,” according to the outlet. Trump has endorsed Massie’s primary challenger, Ed Gallrein, and his allies have spent a significant amount of money to boost the candidate’s profile, likely in an attempt to get Massie and his criticism out of Congress.
Hunt warns that those political candidates who haven’t earned Trump’s endorsement, but carry on as if they had, can end up in the president’s crosshairs. And anyone who has ever been on Trump’s bad side knows that it can destroy your political career before it even has a chance to get started.
“If you haven’t earned it but portray as though you have, it could be the end of your campaign. That’s if the President decides to take issue with it.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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