Trump knocks Pennsylvania governor candidate over lack of action on election claims

Former President Trump on Tuesday slammed Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill McSwain, accusing the former U.S. attorney of doing “absolutely nothing” to back up his baseless claims of election fraud and urging voters not to cast their ballot for him in the primary. 

“One person in Pennsylvania who I will not be endorsing is Bill McSwain for Governor,” Trump said in a statement. “He was the U.S. Attorney who did absolutely nothing on the massive Election Fraud that took place in Philadelphia and throughout the commonwealth.”

“Do not vote for Bill McSwain, a coward, who let our Country down,” he added. “He knew what was happening and let it go. It was there for the taking and he failed so badly.”

McSwain, who’s competing with half a dozen other Republicans for the GOP nomination to succeed Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolfe (D), served as the chief federal prosecutor in Philadelphia under Trump as the former president sought to reverse his loss in the 2020 presidential election. 

He gained attention last summer after sending a letter to Trump seeking his endorsement in the gubernatorial race and blaming former Attorney General William Barr for stopping him from pursuing investigations related to alleged election irregularities. 

That accusation, however, appears to have done little to win Trump over. In his statement on Tuesday, Trump said that even if Barr told McSwain not to pursue such investigations, McSwain “should have done his job anyway.”

“Many of the U.S. Attorneys were probably told not to do anything by Barr,” Trump said. “Hence, our Country is going to hell.

McSwain pushed back on Trump’s remarks, touting his record as U.S. attorney and slamming one of his primary opponents.

“I’ve prosecuted and put people behind bars who committed voter fraud, and put rioters and looters in jail,” he said in a statement. “When I’m Governor, we’re going to get back to a voting system that everyone has confidence in, and that begins with repealing the unconstitutional mail-in balloting law, Act 77, that Doug Mastriano voted for.”

Trump has yet to endorse in Pennsylvania’s May gubernatorial primary, though he endorsed celebrity physician Mehmet Oz’s bid to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) over the weekend. 

Early polling shows former Rep. Lou Barletta leading the pack for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Updated at 12:37 p.m.