Former President Trump made a last-minute endorsement in the Nevada Senate GOP primary for retired Army Captain Sam Brown on Sunday night, ending speculation about whether he would support a candidate in Tuesday’s primary among the Senate Republicans’ preferred candidate or a former ambassador who served in their administration.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump endorsed Brown over two other Republicans who aligned closely with the former president: former US ambassador to Iceland Jeff Gunter and former state representative Jim Marchant.
“Sam Brown is a fearless AMERICAN PATRIOT, a Purple Heart recipient, who has proven he has the ‘pure courage’ and the courage to stand up to our enemies, both foreign and domestic,” Trump said. he wrote.
“I met Sam and his beautiful wife, Amy, a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, and I know that in this next chapter of their service life together, they will continue to make us all proud,” he said. wrote in a separate post. “Sam has already proven his love for our country by being terribly injured and making a comeback of his life. Sam Brown has my complete and total endorsement – HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU!”
The endorsement is particularly notable given that Gunter served as ambassador during the Trump administration and sought to prove he was more loyal to the former president than Brown, who initially distanced himself from Trump.
Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) rallied around Brown during the primaries.
Brown thanked Trump for his endorsement, writing in X“Thank you President Trump for your leadership. I am honored to have your endorsement. I look forward to working with you to bring a better future for all Nevadans and Americans when we both win in November!!”
Ahead of Trump’s rally Sunday in Las Vegas, there was speculation that the former president could make a last-minute choice in the race to unseat Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) before Tuesday’s primary. Although the presumptive GOP presidential nominee has frequently endorsed in the contested GOP Senate primary, he has notably declined to weigh in on the Silver State.
But during the rally, which Gunter and Brown attended, Trump called the retired Army captain a “good man” but avoided giving him his endorsement.
Trump’s support for Brown is not entirely shocking given that many within the Republican Party, especially Senate Republicans, have rallied around the retired Army officer. Brown was seen as the favorite to win on Tuesday, even as the former president remained out of the race.
However, Trump’s support comes too late, in a primary in which many Nevadans have already voted early.
Nevada is among a handful of states that will determine the race for the White House and which party controls the Senate in the fall. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) narrowly won her re-election against Republican Adam Laxalt in 2022.
The nonpartisan election pollster Cook Political Report rates Rosen’s seat as a “toss up.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
