The approval of the GOP qualifier came after Vance, 37, rejected previous criticism of Trump in a charming attack aimed at securing his support in the race – which is expected to be largely decided by the former president’s supporters. Trump gave the coveted nod to Vance against rivals Josh Mandel, Mike Gibbons and Jane Timken, calling him “the most qualified candidate ready to win in November,” in a statement. “Everything has to do with victory!” he added. During the 2016 campaign, the Hillbilly Elegy businessman and writer called Trump “harmful,” “reprehensible,” and “stupid,” before declaring last summer that he was a “good president” as he threw his hat in the ring. . Since then, Vance has reconciled with Trump allies and parroted many of his positions on trade and immigration during frequent appearances on Steve Bannon’s podcasts and on Fox News. Trump referred to the former marine’s previous insults, while giving his seal of approval. Trump said Vance was “the most qualified candidate and ready to win in November” .AP Photo / Chris Seward Vance “may have said some not-so-great things about me in the past,” but “he understands now, and I’ve seen it in the sticks,” Trump said. Trump also called on Vance’s opponents, who frequently traveled to his band in Palm Beach, parroting his electoral fraud and spending millions to hire former aides and align with him. “This is not an easy applause for me because I like and respect some of the other candidates in the race – they have said great things about Trump.” Most of Vance’s underrated opponents rejected the approval and continued to defend Trump’s virtues, as fellow Republican candidate Matt Dolan accused them of “lying and undermining the Constitution to get a vote of approval.” “They have reduced their candidacy and the integrity of the office they want to achieve with campaigns that are now in chaos as the ballot box is cast,” the state senator said. Qualifying winner will face Democratic Sen. Tim Ryan in November. Mandel maintained an average lead of 1.7 points ahead of Vance Friday, according to RealClearPolitics. Trump’s announcement came a week after he played King in the Pennsylvania Senate race, backing Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz. With AP cables
