Former President Donald Trump endorsed retired Army Capt. and one-time congressional candidate Sean Parnell in the crowded Republican primary to replace retiring Republican Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey.
Parnell “will make Pennsylvania very proud and will fight for Election Integrity, Strong Borders, our Second Amendment, Energy Jobs, and so much more,” Trump said in a statement. Parnell announced his candidacy in May, and is one of 14 declared Republican candidates, according to Ballotpedia.
Trump endorses Sean Parnell in #PASen — he’s long been seen as the frontrunner for the former president’s endorsement in what is Democrats’ best R pickup opportunity pic.twitter.com/JWf1wHvZTZ
— Jessica Taylor (@JessicaTaylor) September 1, 2021
Parnell has repeatedly taken aim at President Joe Biden, asking in his campaign launch video whether or not Americans would “submit to a government that tells us how to live, what to drive, who to worship, and what to think.”
He also called the U.S.’ chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan “the largest foreign policy disaster in this country’s history,” during an Aug. 26 appearance on Fox News.
During the 2020 campaign, CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked Parnell to run in a more Republican district rather than challenge Democratic Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb. Parnell lost that election by less than 2%, despite also having Trump’s endorsement. (RELATED: Jake Tapper Reportedly Encouraged Sean Parnell To Run In ‘Safer’ District Rather Than Challenge Democrat Conor Lamb)
Trump referenced the loss in his 2022 endorsement announcement, baselessly claiming that Parnell got “robbed” as part of the “Crime of the Century, the 2020 Presidential Election Scam.”
Lamb is also running for Senate in 2022.
Trump also endorsed retired Green Beret Joe Kent on Wednesday. Kent is attempting to primary Republican Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler.