Former President Donald Trump has long touted the importance of his endorsements in the Republican primary processes and as crucial midterms approach, he’s been offering his backing to a range of candidates.
However, the power of the former president’s endorsement could be called into question as some of his preferred candidates have faced attacks from others in the GOP.
Trump faced some conservative criticism for endorsing celebrity surgeon Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate race, with Fox News host Laura Ingraham saying it was a “mistake.”
In Ohio, Trump has formally endorsed J.D. Vance for the Senate despite the fact Vance has been trailing Republican rival Josh Mandel. It remains to be seen if the former president’s nod will be decisive.
On Tuesday, the Trump-endorsed candidate for Tennessee’s 5th congressional district, Morgan Ortagus, was removed from the primary ballot after a vote by the state party. She has said she’s looking at her options.
And in Georgia, Trump is backing former U.S. Senator David Perdue in his primary challenge to Governor Brian Kemp but Kemp appears to be well positioned to defeat Perdue.
Sean Parnell, who Trump previously endorsed in the Pennsylvania Senate race, dropped out amid his estranged wife’s accusations of abusive behavior and Trump withdrew his endorsement from Representative Mo Brooks in the Alabama Senate race, possibly because of his poor showing in the polls despite an initial lead.
Political experts who spoke to Newsweek suggested that while the former president’s endorsement still mattered, it may not carry the same weight it once did—and that could have implications for a potential Trump 2024 presidential bid.
Trump’s Party
Robert Singh, a professor at the Department of Politics at Birkbeck, University of London, told Newsweek that the former president may have less of a hold over the GOP than has been imagined.
“Although the Republican Party now is much more Trump’s party than Ronald Reagan’s, Trump has had a very…