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Support Joe Collins for Congress!More than a few of MAGA world's brightest stars are openly disagreeing with former President Donald Trump's latest endorsement.
First some background. On Tuesday, Trump endorsed former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus' campaign in Tennessee's redrawn 5th District. (RELATED: Pelosi Hit With Another Retirement)
In fairness, Ortagus has plenty of supporters in the conservative movement and the Republican Party as a whole. Moreover, as a Navy veteran and former top aide to the secretary of state, she is a formidable candidate in any seat, but especially one with a strong conservative bent.
Still, that doesn't mean everyone is satisfied. Indeed, a video of Ortagus is making its rounds online. The video shows Ortagus appearing on MSNBC as a Jeb Bush surrogate. In it, she reveals that she's not sure if she could support Trump if he became the GOP nominee for president.
WATCH:
Other famous MAGA supporters have endorsed Ortagus' primary opponent, Robby Starbuck.
For years, Starbuck has been a mainstay of the MAGA movement at the grassroots level.
Even Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) tweeted out a list of grievances he has with Ortagus, from being photographed with Joe Biden to having Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg officiate her wedding. (RELATED: Is the Justice Department About to Indict Matt Gaetz?)
POLITICO reports that Donald Trump Jr. and the former president's social media Dan Scavino have privately expressed their frustration over what some are calling a botched endorsement:
Starbuck himself is far from a sure-fire primary bet: He's a first-time candidate and a relative newcomer to the district, running in what is expected to be a large field of formidable Republicans, and he has posted lukewarm fundraising numbers. Still, the episode represents perhaps the most intense blowback Trump has received from loyalists since leaving office — and a potential test of the former president's credibility with some of his fiercest defenders. While he has endorsed in races up and down the ballot ahead of this year's midterms, few of them have generated substantial criticism from allies, though there have been ongoing questions about how carefully Trump has made his endorsement decisions.
“This in a lot of ways is a watershed moment for, I'll say, the entire Trump team,” said Daniel Bostic, a conservative activist whose Twitter page has closely documented the backlash. “And it should be, to be honest, because it is being perceived as a back-stab to his own base,” added Bostic who was an organizer of the pro-Trump “Stop the Steal” movement.
Unlike many of the former president's other endorsements, the decision to get behind Ortagus unfolded quickly. The would-be candidate, joined by her family, met with Trump on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where she informed him she was considering running. In the hours after their meeting, Trump began asking a range of people what they thought of Ortagus.
By Tuesday evening, the former president had decided to move ahead with the announcement. He released a statement calling the 39-year-old Ortagus, a former Fox News contributor, “an absolute warrior” for his movement and saying she was “fantastic in her role” at the State Department.
So, what do you think? Did President Trump make the right decision or did he act prematurely? Tell us in the comments below, and while you're at it, let us know what other candidates you'd like to hear about!
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Support Joe Collins for Congress!
Well, what does the republican party in that area say and isn’t that the point of the primary, to find out who the public prefers. Who is in charge of the republican party in that area and why isn’t he talking to Trump, taking surveys or whatever they do to figure out who would be the best one at this time and talk with Trump. Does nobody have any brains or business experience to figure out how to solve the problem if there is one.
Give the Republicans long enough and we’ll figure out some way to lose.
Let me be honest which is something the DemoRATS will never do period. I know that America is much better than crooked Bidens; but I want President Trump to get over the how he was treated, SPEAK up about the future and what he will do to get this country back. Think about if he runs , who will be his running mate period. IT MUST be someone who is strong on America, shows he or she has the GUTS to stand up against the Marxists trying to take our country for 8 years after his hopefully next term. NOW, I do not trust the Lady as I have seen a far too soft side about some issues. I am all in with Starbuck!!