While Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has experienced what can be generously described as a rough August jewish insider says that he is “likely” to have Donald Trump’s endorsement to face Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown in the Republican primary. LaRose argued, “Trump wants to be with someone who can win the race and also be a good colleague in the Senate, which would be me,” despite the fact that he has reportedly attracted the wrong kind of attention From the Supreme Leader of the party two weeks ago, when he appeared on January 6 to defend the actions of Mike Pence.
The moment came when NBC’s Chuck Todd asked the secretary whether Pence did the right thing by refusing to declassify the results of the 2020 election. LaRose responded that Pence “made the best decision based on the information that was in front of him.” “The video was sent to Trump by several people, and he has seen it,” an anonymous source told the network, though he didn’t say how Trump responded — though it’s not hard to guess.
LaRose’s team, on its part, immediately tried to retract the candidate’s comments. “His position is that many people wish he had done things differently on January 6,” the campaign said in a statement. “Mike Pence made decisions based on what he knew at the time. Not everyone agrees that he did, and that includes President Trump.” However, LaRose had to do more cleanup just days later press secretary fired Rob Nichols after Trump aides revealed anti-Trump tweets written by Nichols. In one, he told a MAGA fan, “[I]It’s been an incredible run of indictments for your people and Predator Biden…the Daytona 500 of felonies and misdemeanors.”
All this happened shortly after the decisive decision of the voters of Ohio refused to heed LaRose’s call To support point 1, Republicans supported constitutional amendments that would have made it more difficult to change the state’s governing document. “This is 100% about keeping a radical, pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution,” LaRose told my fellow Republicans The comments said the “no” side has been shadowed in ads across the state.
LaRose also tried to use his strong support for Issue 1 to boost his standing in the Senate primary, at one point announcing that two of his wealthy intra-party enemies, state senator Matt Dolan and businessman Bernie Moreno, would each who needs throw down $1 million to promote it. (Cleveland.com reports that Dolan owns the property worth at least $14.5 millionwhile Moreno’s estate is valued at a minimum of $25.5 million.) Moreno’s team, however, responded with a 57–43 defeat. by calling it “A preview of what will happen in 2024 with Frank LaRose at the top of the ticket – the 14-point rout that crushed the Conservatives.”
Despite LaRose’s opposition, Moreno looks like the candidate with the best chance of securing Trump’s endorsement; Trump himself told followers at a July gathering, “We love Ohio, and we love Bernie Moreno.” (It also doesn’t hurt that Moreno’s son-in-law is Representative Max Miller, a former White House aide who was so close to Trump that a source told Politico in 2021“There was … a unique ‘brotherly’ relationship between them.”)
Jewish Insider, in his interview with LaRose It seemed as if cursing at Moreno Especially when he said that it is possible to be “a great Trump supporter” without attempting to “be a cheap joke” of Trump. We can say with certainty that he didn’t have Dolan in mind: During his unsuccessful 2022 campaign for the state’s other Senate seat, Dolan said that the GOP need to move on From Big Lies and Trump. Although, presumably, he not really ruled out Supporting Trump next year.
But Moreno, as The Daily Beast reported last week, has a history of his own. close tweet Questioning the Big Lie stereotype. In December of 2020, the now-candidate tried to argue that, while Democrats were wrong to accuse Trump of colluding with Russia, it was “just as bad” for him [Trump] To make claims of a fraudulent election without evidence.” He also condemned the January 6 riots as they were happening and later liked a message from Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw calling on Liz to impeach Trump. Cheney’s vote was defended. However, there is no indication yet whether Trump wants to punish Moreno, who is now defending the Jan. 6 defendants as a “political prisoner.” announced during his aborted 2022 Senate campaign“President Trump says the election was stolen, and he’s right.”
However, even after this, Moreno may need to be cautious What happened in the previous Kalpa? To former state party chair Jane Timken during the race to succeed retiring Senator Rob Portman. As Politico’s Alex Eisenstaedt reports, Trump explicitly told Timken that he would only endorse them. suddenly change his mind When she initially defended another impeachment supporter, Ohio Representative Anthony Gonzalez. Trump ultimately endorsed JD Vance, who himself had turned from a one-time critic to a supporter of MAGA, a decision that helped the now-Senator win the primary.
Just a few months ago, LaRose was determined to avoid incriminating himself by garnering Trump’s endorsement, as was the case for much of the 2022 field. secretary, in the spring “Secret Recording” obtained by Politico.Instead, told fellow Republicans that although Trump’s support was “significant”, only 20% of the primary voters they supported would “vote for him”. He further stated that, although he thought he would win Trump’s favor, he did not think “begging for it” would work. But his decision to fire Nichols, who has a long history in state GOP politics, has some observers feeling that LaRose is now willing to do whatever it takes To secure Trump’s approval.
“Is supporting Trump worth burning bridges and setting friendships on fire?” an anonymous strategist asked the conservative Washington Examiner. “Is Trump’s endorsement worth that much?” In LaRose’s case, the operative argued, this is not the case at all. “It looks downright unnatural. It’s like he’s tying himself in knots. When you’re not true to yourself, it shows.”