Trump endorses conservative commentator Tudor Dixon in Michigan GOP gubernatorial primary

Former President Trump announced on Friday evening he was endorsing conservative commentator Tudor Dixon in Michigan’s Republican gubernatorial primary, which is scheduled for next Tuesday.

“Tudor Dixon is a Conservative Warrior who built an impressive career in the steel industry while working with her fabulous father, who is now watching her proudly from above. She raised a beautiful family, and is ready to save Michigan. She’s pro-God, pro-Gun, and pro-Freedom, and she won’t be stopped!” Trump said in a statement issued through his Save America PAC.

He claimed Dixon was not well-known when he met her and asserted that her campaign “took off like a rocket ship” after he recognized her during a speech he gave earlier this year.

The former president also took aim at Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), calling her the “Queen of lockdowns” while adding “except for her husband” — a jab at Whitmer’s husband, who was found to have pressed a business to get his boat out on the water during a phase of COVID-19 when the governor had cautioned people against congregating in the area.

Trump had earlier on Friday teased the possibility of endorsing Dixon, saying in a post on his Truth Social platform, “Giving Tudor Dixon a good, hard look.”

“I am honored to have President Trump’s endorsement. We will unite Michigan and defeat Gretchen Whitmer,” Dixon tweeted in response to Trump’s endorsement.

The Republican primary for the Michigan governor’s race has attracted a number of candidates, some of whom were disqualified after officials found several campaigns allegedly had fraudulent signatures collected. 

Real estate broker Ryan Kelley is among the candidates still set to appear on the ballot, despite being arrested by the FBI and charged in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. 

A Detroit News/WDIV (Channel 4) poll released earlier this month and conducted by Glengariff Group showed Dixon in the lead among likely Republican primary voters at 19 percent, followed by businessman Kevin Rinke at 15 percent, Kelley at 13 percent and chiropractor Garrett Soldano at 12 percent. 

The margin of error for that poll is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, meaning Dixon and Rinke are essentially tied.