In swing states that Biden won in 2020, the vast majority of candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump failed to win their respective elections.
Of Trump’s endorsements for statewide races in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, only two of his chosen candidates, Republican Governor-elect Joseph Lombardo in Nevada and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson in Wisconsin, won their races in the general election, with Georgia’s Senate race heading to a runoff. Trump had championed candidates Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania along with Kari Lake and Blake Masters in Arizona, but each came up short, despite endorsements from Trump. (RELATED: Trump Tries To Take Credit For Glenn Youngkin’s Victory And Says His Name ‘Sounds Chinese’)
Following the midterms, Trump reportedly began to change his opinion of the candidates he endorsed, specifically calling out Oz while blaming his wife Melania Trump for suggesting he back the candidate. Trump blamed “everyone who advised him to back Oz,” New York Times’ Maggie Haberman reported, citing people close to the former president.
However, Trump did notch wins in several key states, with his Senate pick for Ohio, JD Vance, easily besting Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan.
Trump should leave politics entirely. No more endorsements as part of that. https://t.co/TDMTUlmlj0
— Joe Pilot, MD (@JoeSilverman7) November 9, 2022
The president is expected to announce his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election Tuesday, and many Republican leaders are waiting to “see how things go” in Congress before deciding if they will endorse Trump, according to Politico.
“Absolutely I’m going to be giving strong consideration to him. But I’m going to withhold an endorsement until we see where things go.” South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham told Politico. “I’ll tell you after Georgia.”
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told Politico that “right now we’re working towards getting the Congress back.”
Republican leaders are not alone in their apprehension to endorse Trump, as recent polls show voters no longer prefer Trump as the Republican Party front runner. A new YouGov poll, conducted following the midterm elections, shows that 23% of voters prefer DeSantis while 20% said they preferred Trump.
The shift contrasts pre-pandemic polls that showed Trump leading DeSantis in voter opinion, according to Axios.
Trump did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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