Trump blasts ‘Shutdown RINO’ Larry Hogan ahead of Maryland governor primary

Former President Trump denounced Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan as a Republican in name only (RINO) on the eve of the state’s Tuesday gubernatorial primary, when GOP officials backed by each man will vie for the party’s nomination to succeed Hogan.

Trump referred to Hogan, who has hit his two-term limit, as a “Shutdown RINO” due to his implementing statewide lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Maryland, tomorrow is a big day. Get out and vote for Dan Cox for Governor,” Trump said in a statement. “Get rid of Shutdown RINO Larry Hogan who is trying to get another RINO into office, Kelly Schulz.” 

“Dan Cox will be a great Governor,” Trump concluded. “Tomorrow is the day. Get out and vote!” 

Cox, a state delegate who has backed Trump’s baseless claims of 2020 election fraud, has previously butted heads with Hogan, filing a lawsuit against him over the state’s pandemic stay-at-home order and filing a resolution of impeachment, accusing the governor of violating the rights of residents during the pandemic, The Associated Press reported.  

Schulz is a longtime ally of Hogan, having served as both his Labor and Commerce secretary after having previously served as a state delegate.

She and Cox are joined in the Republican gubernatorial primary by former Maryland state Del. Robin Ficker.

Hogan, who has flirted with the idea of running for president in 2024, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” earlier this month that the GOP is slowly pulling back from its support for Trump.

“I’ve been talking about this for years now, and I felt like I was on a lifeboat all by myself. But now we need a bigger boat because more and more people are speaking out every day,” Hogan told moderator Chuck Todd. “I said Trump’s influence on the party was going to diminish over time. It hasn’t happened rapidly, but it has diminished dramatically.”

“It’s just taking longer than it should,” Hogan added.