In support of the former president’s April 23 rally in the state, Trump called on Republicans to rally behind Vance ahead of the May 3 general election. “It’s time for the MAGA movement … to unite behind JD’s campaign because, unlike so many hypocrites and healers, it will put America first,” he said. Vance said he was “honored and excited” to have the backing of the former president. “He set an example for the White House to follow in the Senate. Together, we will take this country back,” he said in a statement. Trump’s support comes hours after Vance’s opponents wrote a letter to the former president claiming that Vance would be a weak candidate in the general election because of the negative comments he has made in the past about Trump and his supporters. Vance sharply criticized Trump during the 2016 presidential election and openly pondered his support for then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. But in meetings with the former president at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and in numerous Fox News appearances, Vance spent the past year embracing a new image as one of Trump’s top supporters and a candidate for the Senate. which is committed to advancing the former President’s First America’s political agenda. “Like some others, JD 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 canes,” Trump said Friday, describing Vance as “the best chance to win.” of the GOP. in what could be a very difficult fight “.
The promised approval sent the candidates to shuffle
Trump had spent months giving conflicting advice from aides and advisers on who to back in the controversial Buckeye State primaries and when – or even if – he should weigh. The former president met with all four candidates actively seeking his support and was in constant contact with his race advisers – some of whom worked for specific candidates or outside groups running in the by-elections. Someone familiar with the matter said that Trump always felt more comfortable with Vance, but was surprised at times by polls that showed him the best-selling author in third or fourth place behind his competitors who were aligned. with MAGA. “His support for the primary tends to matter and he does not want to make a mistake,” said a Trump adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to private media. Reports of Trump’s promised support had sent Republicans across Ohio trying to stop it. After NBC News first reported on Thursday that Trump was on the verge of backing Vance ahead of the by-elections, some of his opponents began urging the former president, through private and public channels, to reconsider. A small group of county GOP presidents drafted and began circulating a letter trying to remind Trump of Vans’s previous criticisms of him. The letter caught the attention of Timken and Mandel’s campaigns, both of which helped push it to encourage other Republican leaders in the state to sign, according to people close to the campaigns. The draft letter was signed by several GOP presidents and other state party leaders, all of whom support different candidates in the Senate race. “This was an organic basic process,” said Lisa Stickan, chair of the Cuyahoga County GOP. Stickan, who supports Gibbons in the Senate by-election, told CNN before Trump’s approval that she doubted these local party leaders would have gathered if Trump had planned to support one of the other candidates. “I do not think there would be the same reaction,” he said. In addition, a poll note from the Remington Research Group, which is working on Mandel’s campaign, began circulating among Republicans in Ohio and in the press on Thursday night. The note, obtained by CNN, allegedly proves that Vance could not significantly strengthen his position in the GOP’s busy primary field (which also includes State Senator Matt Dolan, who has not actively sought his support. Trump). “JD Vance will continue to lose even with the approval of President Trump,” the note said. But those hoping to thwart Trump’s intention to support Vance had no luck. A source close to the former president said Trump had looked at a new poll showing that Vance was ahead of Timken and Gibbons in second place behind Mandel, giving him confidence that his support could lead Vance to victory in qualifying elections. Another source close to Trump said the former president treated Vance – whose riots against corporate and political elites have become a major issue in Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” – as his “ideological duo” and someone who “fell in line” after Trump’s rise to power. “It simply came to our notice then [Trump] excludes someone in mind: Consider Mitt Romney Secretary of State. It’s the weakest argument people can make. Trump says “Can you be more original?” said one of the former president’s close associates. This story has been updated with additional reactions and details. CNN’s Brian Rokus contributed to this report.
