President Trump has endorsed JD Vance in the tight Ohio Senate Republican primary race, noting that even though he voted against him in 2016, “he gets it now.”
On Friday afternoon, Trump announced his endorsement for Vance, who has positioned himself as a strong America First candidate, declaring him to be the most “qualified” candidate to win the Ohio Senate in the midterm elections. “We cannot play games. It is all about winning,” Trump argued.
Vance had faced criticism from some on the right for voting against President Trump in the 2016 election, and instead supporting Evan McMullin, the so-called “Never Trump” conservative presidential candidate. However, the “Hillbilly Elegy” author had changed his tune in recent years, and fully backed President Trump’s agenda.
“Like some others, J.D. Vance may have said some not so great things about me in the past, but he gets it now, and I have seen that in spades,” Trump noted. “He is our best chance for victory in what could be a very tough race,” adding that the endorsement was not “easy” to make.
Trump makes the JD Vance endorsement official after a last-minute push from state GOP officials asking him not to. " J.D. Vance may have said some not so great things about me in the past, but he gets it now" … "This is not an easy endorsement for me to make" pic.twitter.com/qfCT4OhxTv
— Emily Brooks (@emilybrooksnews) April 15, 2022
The 45th President praised Vance on various issues, including his stances on securing the border, cracking down on crime, going against Big Tech, and fighting against the “Rigged and Stolen Presidential Election.” Trump said that with Vance in the Senate, “Ohio gets both brains and brawn.”
Vance accepted the endorsement on social media, saying he was “incredibly honored” to have President Trump’s support. “He was an incredible fighter for hard working Americans in the White House, he will be again, and I’ll fight for the America First Agenda in the Senate,” Vance tweeted.
I'm incredibly honored to have President Trump's support. He was an incredible fighter for hard working Americans in the White House, he will be again, and I'll fight for the America First Agenda in the Senate. https://t.co/s3d3JhTgBC
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) April 15, 2022
Both Donald Trump Jr and Representative Matt Gaetz, as two prominent supporters of the America First agenda, welcomed the endorsement, with Trump’s son calling Vance “the real deal,” and Gaetz welcoming the chance to fight alongside Vance in Washington “against those who put America Last.”
I’ve gotten to know @JDVance1 personally over the past year & I'm convinced that he's 100% America First.
The leftwing media, the Dems & the weak RINOs all HATE him because they know he stands with #MAGA.
He's the real deal folks, that's why my dad & I are both supporting him! https://t.co/mh1baSgFrU
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 15, 2022
President Trump made the right choice!
We need @JDVance1 in Washington to fight back against those who put America Last. https://t.co/iweTdkaoBF
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) April 15, 2022
In the most recent poll from the Trafalgar Group for the Ohio Senate primary, Vance is currently in second place at 22.6%, behind the current frontrunner Josh Mandel, who stands at 28%. However, 54.9% of those polled said that they were more likely to back a candidate if they had received President Trump’s endorsement.
New @trafalgar_group#OHSen ‘22 #GOP primary #poll shows tight 2 way & 55% likely to back if #Trump endorses #OHpol
28.0% @JoshMandelOhio
22.6% @JDVance1
14.3% @MikeGibbonsOH
11.6% @dolan4ohio
7.5% @JaneTimkenOH
2.1% @mpukita
0.8% Patel
13.1% UndReport:https://t.co/PXtrNujEx4 pic.twitter.com/Evx1R0wM8P
— Robert C. Cahaly (@RobertCahaly) April 15, 2022
Last month, Vance stood firm against leftist cancel culture, by refusing to disavow fellow Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene for speaking at the America First Political Action Conference, organised by Nick Fuentes.
Vance said he was refusing to play the “guilt by association game” that the mainstream media plays with those on the right. “They get us to stab our friends in the back,” Vance said, “then we wonder why the left always wins, even though we sometimes win elections.”
