Trump endorses Vance in Ohio GOP Senate primary

Former President Trump endorsed author J.D. Vance in Ohio’s Republican Senate primary on Friday, calling Vance “the most qualified” candidate in the GOP field.

“Like some others, J.D. Vance may have said some not so great things about me in the past, but he gets it now, and I have seen that in spades,” Trump said in a statement, referring to Vance’s past criticism of him.  “He is our best chance for victory in what could be a very tough race.”

A source familiar with the endorsement said Trump called Vance shortly before the press release announcing the endorsement was released.

Trump also referred to Democratic primary frontrunner Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Oh.) without directly naming him, saying Vance “will destroy him in the debates.”

Ryan hit back at Trump’s endorsement in a statement, calling Vance “a multi-millionaire elitist who left Ohio behind for Silicon Valley.” 

The endorsement puts an end to months of speculation about who the former president would back in the crowded primary, which has turned increasingly bitter as candidates competed for his endorsement.

“It gives Vance hope, but it doesn’t deliver him a win unless he’s got both serious money driving the endorsement on TV, and serious money deflecting the  onslaught of ads reminding voters how Vance has badmouthed Trump for years,” said one Ohio Republican strategist. 

A survey released on Friday from the right-leaning firm the Trafalgar Group shows Vance with 22 percent support, behind former state Treasurer Josh Mandel.

The former president acknowledged that intraparty battle in the same statement on Friday, saying his decision was not an easy one to make.

“I like and respect some of the other candidates in the race—they’ve said great things about ‘Trump’ and, like me, they love Ohio and love our Country,” Trump said.

A source said that conservative figures including Tucker Carlson, Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump Jr., and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) had been advocating for Trump to endorse Vance behind the scenes. 

Additionally, the source said that Trump has referred to Mandel as “weird” throughout the course of the primary and was most impressed with Vance during the primary debates. The source added that Trump was turned off by clips of GOP candidates Josh Mandel and Mike Gibbons getting in eachother’s faces at candidate forums. 

NBC News reported Thursday that Trump was asking donors about endorsing Vance. The report prompted over 30 Ohio Republican leaders to sign onto a letter to the former president calling on him not to endorse the “Hillbilly Elegy” author.

The former president’s backing stands to give Vance a boost in the Buckeye State, which Trump won in 2016 and 2020. However, it also poses a test for his political brand two years after his presidency. Trump made headlines when he endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania’s GOP Senate primary. The move divided Republicans including Trump loyalists.

“The biggest question is who the hell is giving Trump such awful political advice.  This is a a half court heave for the win at best,” the Ohio Republican strategist said. 

Trump is slated to hold a rally in Delaware, Oh. on April 23. 

Updated: 5:55 p.m.