Nevada Republican Senate candidate Jeff Gunter accused the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) of sabotaging his campaign shortly after former President Trump endorsed his opponent.
Gunter, who served as U.S. ambassador to Iceland during the Trump administration, initially alleged on Monday that the NRSC, the committee tasked with electing Republicans to the Senate, had thwarted his bid for the Nevada seat currently held by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D). -Nev.).
His initial jabs at the committee,postedMonday on social media platform X alleged that a pay-to-play scheme was orchestrated between Trump World and the NRSC.
Gunter said his leading primary candidate, retired Army Captain Sam Brown, was prepared for a Trump endorsement during the former president’s rally in Las Vegas.
“Scam is told by his handlers that he is being endorsed at the rally,” Gunter wrote Monday on X, referring to Brown.
He then went after the NRSC and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), the committee chairman, accusing them in a Monday night call withPoliticalto dissuade some entities from supporting his candidacy for the upper house.
Gunter, a dermatologist, told Politico that the NRSC pressured a Republican consulting firm, The Strategy Group, to terminate work with him, something the company denied. He also said Daines tried to “intimidate” him into not running.
The NRSC repudiated Gunter’s claims, saying he was making “defamatory” accusations.
“Jeff Gunter has become completely unhinged and is making false and defamatory accusations against the NRSC and President Trump,” NRSC Communications Director Mike Berg said in a statement to The Hill. It makes sense because Gunter is also a California Democrat.”
Trump’s campaign also responded, saying Gunter’s accusations were proof of why the former president could not support the businessman running for Senate.
“Proof why @DrJeffGunter didn’t get @realDonaldTrump’s endorsement, you have a habit of making up crap,” said Trump senior advisor Chris LaCivitiahe saidin X. “President Trump makes his own decisions and this is another example of how he chooses wisely.”
The former president didn’t weigh in on the GOP’s competitive Senate primary until last weekend, when he attended a fundraiser on Saturday and held a rally on Sunday.
During the rally, which was attended by Gunter and Brown, Trump called Brown a “good man” but did not offer his full support for the Army veteran. Hours later, however, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee made a surprise last-minute endorsement on TruthSocial, calling Brown a “FEARLESS AMERICAN PATRIOT, a Purple Heart recipient, who has proven he has ‘PURE GRIT’ and COURAGE to stand up to our enemies, both foreign and domestic.
The NRSC already rallied around Brown during the primary race.
Gunter told Politico that he spoke with Trump on Saturday night, the day before the rally, and that the former president said “It really doesn’t seem to me like you’re losing.”
The Republican Party primaries in Nevada are scheduled for Tuesday. The Silver State is one of the few battlegrounds that could determine who wins the White House and controls the Senate.
The Hill has reached out to Brown’s campaign for comment.
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