Bloomberg News (TNS)
Donald Trump’s endorsement of talk-show host Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania’s Republican Senate primary has deepened GOP angst over whether the former president’s picks can win a statewide general election.
Republicans aiming for a rout come November are anxious that Trump is backing candidates who appeal only to party faithful. The fear is that in a general election, when the candidates must compete for moderates and independent voters, a seal of approval by Trump will be a negative.
Trump’s surprise backing of “Dr. Oz” over former Bridgewater Associates Chief Executive Officer David McCormick was met with dismay by party grandees and strategists. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was clearly dismayed in what is becoming a test of the billionaire mogul’s enduring hold on the party.
“You can’t nominate somebody who is just sort of unacceptable to a broader group of people and win,” McConnell said at a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce event in Louisville. He said they had nominated “bizarre people that got through the primary who couldn’t win in November.”
Trump is spoiling that mainstream vision by endorsing 18 candidates among Republican Senate hopefuls that fulfill very specific prerequisites. They include public allegiance to his false claims that he was robbed in the 2020 presidential election, personal loyalty and support for his America-First vision.
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