Trump expresses desire for Larry Hogan's victory in Maryland's Senate race.
Donald Trump conversed with a journalist in Washington, DC while meeting GOP legislators at Capitol Hill. During the conversation, Trump expressed his desire for Larry Hogan, a former Maryland GOP governor, to triumph over Angela Alsobrooks, the Democratic nominee. The reporter tweeted the statement.
“I'd love to see him win. I think he's got a fair chance. ... I'm all about the party and the country. And I'd like to see him win," Trump said, as reported by Fox News.
In the interview broadcasted by Fox News, the journalist asked if Trump was endorsing Hogan.
"Nobody's asked me that, but I would be endorsing him, sure," former president Trump answered.
Michael Ricci, a spokesman for Hogan, issued a response to Trump endorsement. “He's been clear he isn't supporting Trump, as he didn’t in 2016 and 2020," Ricci declared.
Both Hogan and Alsobrooks are contesting for the position being vacated by departing Democratic Senator Ben Cardin. Democrats had been projected to effortlessly retain the position in the predominantly blue state, which hadn't voted in a Republican senator since 1980. However, the emergence of Hogan, a popular two-term former governor, gave the race fresh motion, and polling showed Alsobrooks fighting evenly with Hogan.
Trump's advocacy for Hogan follows Hogan's request that Americans "respect the verdict" in the former president's Manhattan hush-money trial just prior to the verdict. Trump was later judged guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
The former president's allies responded insolently to Hogan's statement. Chris LaCivita, Trump's campaign manager, published a message: “You've terminated your campaign.” Following the verdict, Lara Trump, the Republican National Committee co-chair and Trump's daughter-in-law, punched back at CNN, claiming Hogan didn't deserve devotion from Republicans and revealing his comment as "absurd."
Yet, Hogan proceeded to criticize Trump, deeming a Trump versus Biden matchup a "terrible option." Hogan also shared that he wouldn't vote for either man, saying, "That sounds like a dodge, but neither should be president."
"If Trump loses this election, I think that will mark the end of the movement," Hogan continued. "We'll then attempt to redirect the party into a more extensive tent party capable of winning elections by engaging a larger group of people. If Trump wins, we'll observe how long that movement will persist."
