With the primary season shortly following the holiday season, the heat is ratcheting up for the upcoming race for the White House. Even though Joe Biden is the incumbent and presumptive democratic candidate, rumors about the possibility of the party replacing the aging Biden still abound. On the other side of the aisle, the nomination appears to be a foregone conclusion as former president Donald Trump leads the pack by double digits.
However, that doesn’t mean it is over. With the litany of scurrilous indictments facing President Trump, anything is possible, and the remaining candidates are preparing to step in should Trump face any hurdles toward the nomination. That doesn’t mean the former president isn’t garnering endorsements, as many in the GOP have thrown their unwavering support behind the 45th president. The most recent to go public with his endorsement is one of the most popular, influential party Senators.
Josh Hawley, the Senator from Missouri, endorsed President Trump on Tuesday in a move that wasn’t unexpected but certainly welcome and important. Hawley has long been a supporter of Trump and believed he would win the GOP nomination but had stopped short of openly endorsing him until this week. Hawley became the 18th Senator to endorse the GOP frontrunner and certainly one of the most influential.
In an interview with Politico, Hawley laid out his endorsement for Trump. He said: “President Trump doesn’t need to worry. I’m with him. He’s asked me several times to support him. I said yes. And I’ve been saying for a year that I think he’s gonna be the nominee. I support him. I’m gonna vote for him. Don’t worry — you can put me down as support, endorsed, stand with.”
President Trump is leading the field by a huge margin over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, but as always, he is looking out for his allies. He issued a cryptic warning to Josh Hawley and Senator Ted Cruz regarding their upcoming election prospects. Trump suspects the Democrats are specifically targeting Hawley and Cruz, and he issued this warning to the two GOP Senators: “So interesting that the Democrats are looking hard at the Senate races in both Missouri and Texas. Josh and Ted must be very careful, stranger things have happened!!!”
The GOP race is closer in some states, and an endorsement from Hawley could go a long way to locking down states like New Hampshire, where Nikki Haley has gained key support. On Monday, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu endorsed Haley: “This is an opportunity for New Hampshire to lead this country, for New Hampshire to say we’re not looking in the rearview mirror anymore. You bet your a** I am. We’re all in for Nikki Haley.”
While New Hampshire is a closer race, the national picture is leaning strongly toward Trump. It is likely too little, too late for the rest of the GOP field, and it is likely the pretenders will be jockeying and making deals for potential cabinet positions under the former and possibly future president. That being said, an endorsement from Josh Hawley is important, and helps to lock up the nomination for the GOP for Donald Trump.
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