Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, an outspoken Republican critic of Donald Trump who is seeking to flip a Democrat-held Senate seat in his blue state, appears to have the former president’s support.
“I want to see him win. I think he has a decent chance of winning. I’d want to see him win. And we have to win the majority,” Trump said Thursday in an exclusive interview with Fox News, referring to the Maryland Senate race. It’s one of a few races that could decide if the Republicans retake the Senate chamber.
Hogan, a popular former two-term governor, is facing Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, the executive of Prince George’s County, Maryland, in the election to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin. The former Maryland governor, who has stated that he will not vote for Trump in the November presidential election, stood out from the majority of Republicans by openly demanding that the guilty convictions in the former president’s criminal trial be upheld.
Before Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts in the first trial of a past or current president in US history, Hogan rushed to social media to declare, “Regardless of the outcome, I urge all Americans to respect the verdict and the legal process.”
At this dangerously divided time in our history, all leaders, regardless of party, must avoid adding gasoline to the flames with toxic partisanship. Minutes afterward, Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita, a seasoned Republican consultant, commented on Hogan’s social media post, stating, “You just ended your campaign.”
On Thursday, as Trump was leaving Capitol Hill following talks with congressional Republicans, Fox News asked him if he supported Hogan.
“We need to straighten out our country. So I’d like to see him when he’s a winner. Yes, I would. I know some have made forceful declarations, but I can simply declare that I support the party and the country. “And I would like to see him win,” the former president stated.
When asked if he endorses Hogan, Trump replied, “Nobody’s asked me that. But in essence, I would be promoting. Yeah.”
When asked for a response to the former president’s statements, Hogan campaign senior adviser Mike Ricci told Fox News that “Gov. Hogan has been clear he is not supporting Donald Trump just as he didn’t in 2016 and 2020.”
While a Trump endorsement is frequently beneficial to Republican candidates in red areas, it may have the opposite effect in Democrat-dominated Maryland.
In a Fox News Digital interview earlier this spring, Hogan stated that having Trump at the top of the Republican ticket is a challenging task due to Trump’s 33-point loss in his home state.It’s not going to help me, but I believe we’ll be able to conquer the difficulty.”
In response to the announcement, Alsobrooks said in a statement that “the stakes of this race could not be higher.” Just last week, Senate Republicans blocked access to contraceptives. Senate Republicans voted hours ago against protecting IVF. And just now, Donald Trump backed Larry Hogan to ensure a Republican majority.”
Source: foxnews.com
