St.  Louis Post Dispatch and AP photos

ST. LOUIS — Former President Donald Trump, refusing to make a single endorsement in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate primary, said he trusts Missouri voters to “make up their own mind” between former Gov. Eric Greitens and Attorney General Eric Schmidt. The Post-Dispatch and the League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis presents this guide to the candidates and races on the Aug. 2 ballot. In a statement posted after 5 p.m. Monday on Truth Social, a Twitter-like blogging site, Trump wrote: “I trust the Great People of Missouri, at this point, to make up their own minds, as I did when they swept me victories in the 2016 and 2020 Elections and therefore I am proud to announce that ERIC has my Full and Total Support”. The late nod to two of the front-runners in the Senate race represented an anticlimactic end to sweepstakes in which Republican candidates sought to appease the former president, who dominated Democrats in his two elections here.

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Top Republicans had scrambled to connect with the former president, betting that his support would be key to success in deeply conservative Missouri, where the former president has been widely popular. Without early endorsement, candidates criss-crossed the state Monday, hoping to seal support ahead of Election Day. The former president had warmed to Greitens, Politico reported in early March — weeks before Greitens’ ex-wife accused the former governor of spousal and child abuse in court documents. Following those announcements, US Rep. Billy Long said Trump had contacted him and discussed the allegations against Greitens, expressing the former president’s concern about Greitens’ viability. After the call, Trump issued a statement saying he would like to endorse Long, but questioned whether voters were “considering” Long, indicating that Trump wanted to back a candidate with strong public support. Greitens has been the subject of a multimillion-dollar campaign funded by donors and GOP operatives to brand him as unfit for office. After leading in the polls early on, Greitens began to fade, with Schmitt appearing to take the lead in the final week. Trump, on his social media site Sunday, expressed disapproval of Schmitt and Axiom Strategies, a political consulting firm that works for Schmitt. Axiom’s polling arm, Remington Research Group, had released polls showing Schmitt leading. On Sunday, Trump shared a link to a Breitbart article that accused Remington of underestimating Trump’s support in Missouri to boost the attorney general in the polls. “Wow, great dishonesty in politics,” Trump said in his social media post, with a photo of Schmidt below his statement. “Pity!” At a campaign stop in the St. Louis area, Schmidt was asked about a possible endorsement. “I would love to have it,” Schmitt said. Trump made it clear in early July that there was one candidate he would definitely not support: U.S. Rep. Vicki Hartzler, one of the leading candidates in the primary. Trump said Hartzler called him for his support, but he declined, saying he doesn’t have “what it takes to take on the Radical Left Democrats, along with their partner in destroying our country, the Fake News media and , of course. , the deceitful and stupid RINOs.” On Monday, Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, hosted a news conference in a St. Louis International Airport parking lot. Louis Lambert to criticize her two main competitors in the US Senate race.
To Greitens, he pointed out that he is accused of abusing his family. “That’s not conservative,” Hartzler said. To Schmitt, she said she tried to use millions of dollars in tax credits to entice the Chinese to build an airport hub behind her. “That’s not conservative,” Hartzler said. And he criticized both of them for not sitting down for a discussion. “I guess they’re afraid to fight a farm girl from Missouri,” said Hartzler, 61, describing herself as the “real conservative” in the race. Nationally, political scientists, analysts and journalists are watching the race to weigh Trump’s impact on the midterm elections. Asked Monday about expectations that Trump might still endorse a Republican in the race, Hartzler shrugged off her non-endorsement, acknowledging the former president’s unpredictability.
“President Trump will do what he wants,” he said. “He might even approve of me.” He left the airport, driving to other last-minute drives in Rolla and southwest Missouri. “We’re getting a lot of support from every corner of the state,” he said. On the Democratic side of the race, former Marine Lucas Coons has secured endorsements from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, who served under President Bill Clinton. Democrat Trudy Bush Valentine, meanwhile, announced the election night watch party will be held at the Sheet Metal Local 36 union hall in St. Louis. On the GOP side, Greitens wrapped up his campaign with a cross-country flight that included a scheduled stop at Spirit of St. Louis in Chesterfield. Updated at 5:24 p.m. with Trump’s approval. This story will be updated. Stay up to date on the latest local and national government and political issues with our newsletter.

title: “Trump Refusing To Pick A Candidate Backs Eric In Tuesday S Us Senate Primary Policy " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-01” author: “Jared Quitugua”

        St.  Louis Post Dispatch and AP photos

ST. LOUIS — Former President Donald Trump, refusing to make a single endorsement in Tuesday’s U.S. Senate primary, said he trusts Missouri voters to “make up their own mind” between former Gov. Eric Greitens and Attorney General Eric Schmidt. The Post-Dispatch and the League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis presents this guide to the candidates and races on the Aug. 2 ballot. In a statement posted after 5 p.m. Monday on Truth Social, a Twitter-like blogging site, Trump wrote: “I trust the Great People of Missouri, at this point, to make up their own minds, as I did when they swept me victories in the 2016 and 2020 Elections and therefore I am proud to announce that ERIC has my Full and Total Support”. The late nod to two of the front-runners in the Senate race represented an anticlimactic end to sweepstakes in which Republican candidates sought to please the former president, who dominated his Democratic rivals in his two elections here.

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Nationally, political scientists, analysts and journalists are watching the Missouri race to weigh Trump’s impact in the midterm elections. But Trump did not make a final choice, potentially saving face in a close three-way battle. Trump said in July that he would definitely not endorse U.S. Rep. Vicki Hartzler, the third Republican front-runner in the race. Asked earlier Monday about expectations that Trump might endorse another Republican in the race, Hartzler played down her non-endorsement, acknowledging the former president’s unpredictability. “President Trump will do what he wants,” he said. “He might even approve of me.” Greitens had claimed Trump’s support in a tweet minutes after Trump’s announcement, making no mention of Schmidt. “I am honored to have the support of President Trump! We will do MAGA!” Greitens said. I am honored to have the support of President Trump! We will MAGA! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/NljSJqEQG5 — Eric Greitens (@EricGreitens) August 1, 2022 Schmitt followed that up with his own tweet that made no mention of Greitens: “Donald Trump endorses Eric Schmitt for Senate. Stand with Trump and vote for the provably conservative Eric Schmidt tomorrow.” IMPORTANT: Donald Trump endorses Eric Schmidt for Senate. Stand with Trump and vote for proven conservative Eric Schmidt tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/geOOUGGhq8 — Team Schmitt for US Senate (@Schmitt4Senate) August 1, 2022 Hartzler, meanwhile, issued a statement noting that there is a third, lesser-known Eric also seeking the GOP nomination, which may have eluded the former president. “Congratulations to Eric McElroy. It’s a big night,” Hartzler said. McElroy is a comedian and writer living in Tunas, Dallas County.

End of months of speculation

Political observers have speculated for months about which candidate Trump would support in Missouri’s 21-candidate Republican primary to replace Republican Sen. Roy Blunt. In December, conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt pleaded with Trump not to endorse Greitens, who resigned in 2018 after scandals linked to an extramarital affair he had and the unreported receipt of a campaign donor list from the veterans’ charity he founded. “Please do not support Eric Greitens. It’s a nightmare, Mr. President. We’re going to lose that position,” Hewitt told Trump in a radio interview. Trump made no promises at the time. “Well, that’s an interesting point of view, it’s true,” Trump said. “Right now it’s way ahead.” Indeed, the former president had warmed to Greitens, Politico reported in early March. After all, despite scandals that other Republicans feared could hand the seat to Democrats in the fall, Greitens was the front-runner against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, with whom Trump has feuded. (Schmitt and Hartzler were also removed from McConnell last week.) But two weeks after the Politico op-ed, titled “Trump’s McConnell Obsession Leads Him to Eric Greitens,” Greitens’ ex-wife accused the former governor of spousal and child abuse in court documents. After those revelations, US Rep. Billy Long said Trump contacted him and talked about the allegations against Greitens, expressing the former president’s concern about Greitens’ viability. After the call, Trump issued a statement saying he would like to endorse Long, but questioned whether voters were “scrutinizing” the southwest Missouri lawmaker, indicating Trump wanted to back a candidate with strong public support. Greitens has been the subject of a multimillion-dollar campaign funded by donors and GOP operatives to brand him as unfit for office. After leading in the polls early on, Greitens began to fade, with Schmitt appearing to take the lead in the final week. Schmitt, too, had tried to appeal to the former president. On December 23, Schmidt tweeted a photo of himself sitting next to Trump. “It was great to be back at Mar-a-Lago and spend some time with President Trump over the holiday season. Merry Christmas!” he tweeted. On March 11, Schmidt made another appearance at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, according to photos he posted on Twitter. But the charm offensive apparently wasn’t enough to win Trump’s full support.

Trump was incensed by the recent poll

Trump, on his social media site Sunday, signaled his disapproval of Schmitt and Axiom Strategies, a political consulting firm that works for Schmitt. Axiom’s polling arm, Remington Research Group, had released polls showing Schmitt leading the race. On Sunday, Trump shared a link to a Breitbart article that accused Remington of underestimating Trump’s support in Missouri to boost the attorney general in the polls. “Wow, great dishonesty in politics,” Trump said in his social media post, with a photo of Schmidt below his statement. “Pity!” At a campaign stop in the St. Louis area, Schmidt was asked about a possible endorsement. “I would love to have it,” Schmitt said, adding that voters had a choice between the “fighter,” Schmitt. Greitens, “who resigned” and Hartzler, “a do-nothing congressman who is part of the establishment,” according to audio from the St. Louis Public Radio. Trump said in July that Hartzler called him to…