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Trump baffles GOP by endorsing ‘Eric’ in the Missouri Senate primary — a race with three Erics
Former President Donald Trump injected some last-minute confusion ahead of Missouri's Senate primary on Tuesday by endorsing "ERIC" in a Monday night statement.
Politics
Former President Donald Trump injected some last-minute confusion ahead of Missouri's Senate primary on Tuesday by endorsing "ERIC" in a Monday night statement.
Eric who? Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens? State Attorney General Eric Schmitt? Or maybe even little-known Eric McElroy?
“I trust the Great People of Missouri, on this one, to make up their own minds, much as they did when they gave me landslide victories in the 2016 and 2020 Elections, and I am therefore proud to announce that ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Trump said in a statement after emphasizing voters “must send a MAGA Champion and True Warrior to the U.S. Senate, someone who will fight for Border Security, Election Integrity, our Military and Great Veterans, together with having a powerful toughness on Crime and the Border.”
When reached for comment, Trump’s team did not provide any clarity, saying only that the “endorsement speaks for itself.”
Allies of Greitens and Schmitt separately argued that their candidate was the true recipient of the endorsement, or that the other guy wasn't MAGA enough to win Trump's approval.
One Trump adviser said the internal bickering demonstrated the former president's enduring power and influence in the party.
“Instead of talking about Missouri, the Erics are debating what Trump’s endorsement means,” said the adviser. "Yes, it's an epic troll."
By not endorsing Greitens, though, Trump could have sealed his defeat.
“A Trump endorsement is a wild card Greitens needs. And if he doesn’t get it, it’s hard to see how he wins,” said John Lamping, a Republican and former state senator from Missouri.