On Monday, former President Donald Trump supported national Republicans’ choice to attempt to flip the vacant seat in the fall by endorsing former Representative Mike Rogers‘ Senate campaign in Michigan.
Trump said on Truth Social, “Mike has devoted himself to his country during an entire career loaded with honours and prevails, from the Army to Congress and now, perhaps, the U.S. Senate.” “I fully support Mike Rogers, who I believe will be an outstanding and strong senator for Michigan. “HE IS A WITNESS TO WINS!”
The National Republican Senatorial Committee encouraged the former House Intelligence chairman to enter the campaign last year, but he now confronts an intense primary field ahead of the August primary. In the crucial contest, the victor is probably going to face off against Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who Democrats have mainly united around to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
Trump’s rollercoaster relations with Rogers
Although Rogers has occasionally criticized Trump, he has praised the former president’s 2024 campaign in a January Daily Caller op-ed. Rogers departed Congress in 2015 after spending 14 years in the House.
In a Monday post on X, the former FBI special agent expressed gratitude to Trump for his endorsement: “I’m grateful, Mr. President! I’m eager to collaborate with you to put Michigan and America back on track.”
Rogers may benefit from Trump’s support among Republicans, particularly in light of the fact that a number of other contenders have already made public statements criticising the outgoing president. Former Representative Peter Meijer entered the race last autumn despite being discreetly persuaded to stay out of it by the Senate Republican campaign arm. Meijer lost a House primary after supporting to impeach Trump in the wake of the January 6, 2021, uprising.
Former Representative Justin Amash registered to run as a Republican last month. Amash was the first Republican in 2019 to claim that Trump had engaged in “impeachable conduct” based on Robert Mueller’s findings on Russian meddling in the 2016 election. In 2019, he broke with the party and eventually switched to Libertarianism.
Businessman Sandy Pensler, who missed out on the GOP nomination for the seat in 2018, is one of the contenders.
Michigan was won by President Joe Biden by around three points in 2020, and the state will be very contested in the Senate and presidential races this year. The Senate race is rated as Tilt Democratic by Nathan L. Gonzales of Inside Elections.
