Trump Brags 97% Endorsement Record Despite 10 Losses
Trump Brags 97% Endorsement Record Despite 10 Losses
The News
President Donald Trump declared his political endorsements "stronger than ever" in a Truth Social post late Sunday, even as Republicans he backed pile up primary defeats heading into the midterms.
Alongside the post he shared graphics scoring his picks at a 97% success rate across congressional, Senate and gubernatorial races from 2018 to 2026.
He also offered an explanation for the ones who lost: he only backed them out of "loyalty."
What Trump Said
"My Endorsements are stronger than ever — Not to mention the fact that good people are getting elected that never had the chance! Here is an accurate list of the last number of seasons. There has never been anything close! It is an Honor that I take very seriously," Trump wrote.
He added: "The few that lost were done out of loyalty. It was almost impossible for them to win but, I felt obligated to go with them because they were, in my opinion, good people!"
Mediaite reported that the 97% figure broadly aligns with Ballotpedia's tally, which puts Trump's primary success rate for endorsed candidates at 96%.
The Losses
Trump-backed candidates have suffered 10 primary defeats this year, with six of them coming in August alone, according to Mediaite.
Last week, Megan Degenfelder lost the Wyoming governor's primary, and Rep. Cory Mills and Catalina Lauf were beaten in Florida House races.
Earlier this month, Minnesota gubernatorial candidate and "MyPillow guy" Mike Lindell lost, as did Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles and Michigan congressional candidate Amir Hassan.
Five Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidates have now lost.
Reactions
Raw Story characterized the post as Trump throwing his own losing candidates under the bus — insisting his record is stronger than ever, then disowning the ones who came up short.
Republicans are also questioning individual picks. Rep. Ralph Norman last week called it a "head scratcher" that Trump endorsed Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina's Republican Senate runoff, saying his own legislative and business background and his votes for Trump's agenda made him better qualified to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
What's Next
The next test comes Tuesday, when appointed Sen. Darline Graham faces South Carolina's Republican special-election primary.
Trump-backed Anthony DiLorenzo is on the ballot in New Hampshire on September 8.
More
Trump's picks have won plenty this cycle too. In Alabama, he backed three-term Rep. Barry Moore, who promised to be "a warrior for President Trump's 'America First' agenda" and defeated former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson for the Senate nomination — a seat Sen. Tommy Tuberville is vacating to run for governor.
In Georgia, State Rep. Tim Fleming won the Republican nomination for secretary of state in July over Vernon Jones, who leaned into claims of fraud in Trump's 2020 loss. They were competing to replace Brad Raffensperger, who rejected Trump's unproven fraud claims and his demand to "find 11,780 votes." Fleming faces Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds in November.
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