Ahead Of Georgia Rally, “Trump Looms Large” In GOP Senate Primaries

CNN: “Trump chose to (quickly) get behind the Republican who he perceived would be his strongest ally — not necessarily who would be the strongest candidate”

Washington Post: “Trump remains the most influential figure in a GOP primary”

Ahead of Trump’s Saturday rally in Georgia, news coverage continues to highlight how Trump is creating chaos in GOP Senate primaries – endorsing candidates “who he perceived would be his strongest ally — not necessarily who would be the strongest candidate,” sabotaging recruitment efforts and taking “credit” for keeping strong candidates out of the race, and causing candidates to nearly come to physical blows as they desperately try to “tout MAGA bona fides” in an effort to secure his endorsement.

From Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesperson Nora Keefe: “Every time Trump shows up in a Senate battleground state he makes GOP infighting even worse. Republican candidates are so desperate for Trump’s endorsement that they are nearly coming to physical blows to impress him – a pathetic obsession with one man that will lead their campaigns to defeat in 2022.”

See for yourself the latest updates on how Trump is causing chaos in GOP Senate primaries:

In Arizona:

• Bloomberg reported that “Trump looms large” in Arizona’s GOP Senate primary: he publicly “feuded with Ducey” and pledged that the governor would never have his support, then “took credit for forcing him out of the race.” By sidelining Ducey, Trump “leaves a crowd of lesser-known Republicans in a bitter battle for the nomination.”

• POLITICO reported the GOP candidates are “using Trump’s words to hammer” each other in a primary where the Big Lie has become a “purity test.” Trump himself continues to publicly go after Brnovich – issuing yet another statement last week calling him out for his inaction on ‘election fraud.’ The Washington Post reported this week that Trump’s decision to endorse “hinges on how much Attorney General Mark Brnovich does to convince Trump he is taking the former president’s claims about the 2020 election seriously.”

In Georgia:

• Trump’s endorsement has not stopped Herschel Walker’s rivals from launching what reporters are describing as “brutal” and “scathing” attacks against his checkered past, as “the gloves are off” in Georgia’s GOP Senate primary.  

• Walker has also recently come under fire for what the Atlanta-Journal Constitution called “exaggerated claims” about his “default, settlement and lawsuit” filled business record.

In Nevada:

• Adam Laxalt has made his candidacy entirely about Trump’s Big Lie: new reporting from the New York Times this week detailed how Laxalt is “already laying detailed groundwork to fight election fraud in his race — long before a single vote has been cast or counted.”

• Laxalt “was one of the leaders of the Trump campaign’s effort to overturn the results in Nevada” and has called voter fraud the “biggest issue” of his campaign.

In New Hampshire:

• Trump didn’t do Republicans “any favors” by feuding with Chris Sununu – National Journal reported this week that Republicans’ failure to recruit Sununu into the Senate race “opened a vacuum from which a viable GOP candidate has yet to emerge.”

In North Carolina:

• Trump’s endorsed candidate Ted Budd has failed to clear the field in an increasingly nasty and expensive primary – Club for Growth is “now pouring millions more into ad buys, raising their initial pledge of $10 million to at least $14 million to support Budd.”

• New reporting from WRAL this week highlights how the GOP primary has turned “personal” as “Budd, Walker tangle for Trump base.” According to WRAL, Trump “signaled some doubts” about his endorsement of Budd at a NC GOP event last week.

• Budd this week launched a new ad highlighting Trump’s endorsement, and a PAC backing Budd is up with a new ad slamming McCrory as “too liberal” because of his past criticism of Trump.

In Ohio:

• Josh Mandel and Mike Gibbons nearly came to blows in an effort to “tout MAGA bona fides” during a recent primary debate. The Hill reported that “the former president’s potential endorsement has come to define the intraparty contest.”

• The Associated Press this week reported that “the former president’s coveted endorsement may never come” – ensuring the primary fight will be drawn out, chaotic, and expensive.

And in Pennsylvania:

• The fight for Trump’s endorsement between Oz and McCormick is heating up: Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Tamari reported that “Oz had dinner with Donald and Melania last week in FL,” and NBC News has suggested that Melania favors Oz.  McCormick’s team is reportedly scrambling “to keep Trump at least neutral.”

• While Trump remains on the sidelines, the primary between Oz and McCormick is the “most expensive Senate race in [the] nation” – Fox News reports “nearly $50 million has been spent by the candidates and their campaigns as well as outside groups.” The two candidates continue to trade “increasingly intense lines of attack.”

###