Trump: Stewart has ‘major chance’ of beating Kaine in Virginia

President Trump predicted on Wednesday that Corey Stewart, the Republican nominee in Virginia’s Senate race, has a “major chance” of defeating Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in November, urging voters not to “underestimate” the conservative firebrand.

“Congratulations to Corey Stewart for his great victory for Senator from Virginia,” Trump tweeted. “Now he runs against a total stiff, Tim Kaine, who is weak on crime and borders, and wants to raise your taxes through the roof. Don’t underestimate Corey, a major chance of winning!”

Congratulations to Corey Stewart for his great victory for Senator from Virginia. Now he runs against a total stiff, Tim Kaine, who is weak on crime and borders, and wants to raise your taxes through the roof. Don’t underestimate Corey, a major chance of winning!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018

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Stewart, the chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, defeated more moderate Republicans in Virginia’s GOP Senate primary on Tuesday, signaling a hardening of the party’s primary electorate. 

Stewart has cast himself as a stalwart supporter of Trump and a fierce opponent of illegal immigration.

He ran unsuccessfully for Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial nomination last year, and based much of that campaign around a call to preserve Confederate statues. Stewart was also forced to distance himself from an anti-Semitic and white nationalist candidate running for Congress in Wisconsin whom he had previously praised.

Kaine, a former Virginia governor who has served in the Senate since 2013, competed against Trump and Vice President Pence as Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the 2016 election.