The former president’s decision to endorse “Eric” for a race with two top contenders has thrown Trumpworld into open chaos.
The problem started Monday night when Donald Trump threw his political weight behind “Eric” means that two Republican Senate candidates from Missouri, Eric Greitens and Eric Schmitt, could legitimately claim to have his blessing.
(Rep. Vicky Hartzler, the only candidate in the race Trump explicitly said he would not endorse, congratulated the little-known third “Eric” on the ballot, Eric McElroy, in a ironic statement.)
Within minutes, both Schmitt and Greitens posted tweets promoting the endorsement without acknowledging that it was a joint venture.
On Tuesday morning it was clear, the pundits at Trumpworld were not amused.
Fox News anchor and right-wing media heavyweight dan bongino had a meltdown on Twitter because Greitens claimed that Trump had endorsed him.
“No. Not a chance in hell,” he wrote in response to a tweet from Greitens touting Trump’s coveted endorsement. “Flush that seat down the toilet if Greitens wins.”
“Shit. Read the endorsement,” Fox News host continued. “This guy is a FRAUD.”
Convinced that two tweets weren’t enough on the matter, Bongino kept tweeting.
“If you listen to any of my shows, you know I usually stay out of the primaries. But this is different. PLEASE do not vote for Greitens. Trust me on this. Please,” he concluded. “I can’t stress this by using strong enough English words.”
Democrats hope Greitens ‘retaliation’ will make him vulnerable
Similarly, when Greitens claimed Trump’s endorsement as his own, the former NRA spokesman and gun fanatic dana loesch he jumped into the fold to take a swing at Greitens.
“Greitens trails Schmitt by double digits in the polls and camped out outside Mar-a-Lago for weeks hoping to get an endorsement, just to get this,” he said. he tweeted. . “Greitens is the Beto [O’Rourke] of Missouri.”
A senior adviser to the Greitens campaign responded to Loesch’s claim Tuesday afternoon, telling The Daily Beast: “There’s only one candidate who camped, and that’s RINO Eric Schmitt.”
It didn’t end there, as the influential conservative commentator criticized Rep. Matt Gaetz for his support of the former Missouri governor.
“That’s not an endorsement, mate,” Loesch said in response to a tweet from Gaetz congratulating Greitens.
In a tweet Tuesday, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) applauded Schmitt.
“Missouri, the polls are open right now! Vote for my friend Eric Schmitt,” Senator said. “He is the strongest conservative in the Missouri Senate race!”
A Trump spokesman did not respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment on the story Tuesday morning.
political reported Monday night that the dueling endorsement came at the end of a seven-hour lobbying campaign that occurred at Trump’s Bedminster golf club. The fight featured Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle working overtime on Greitens’ behalf and RNC chair Ronna McDaniel trying to convince the former president to stay neutral.
In the end, Trump, brushing aside fears that a double endorsement might be “too cute,” endorsed both candidates, calling them on the phone to congratulate them without mentioning that he also endorsed his rival, according to the report. political.
While there were many detractors of Greitens, there were also supporters.
“Missouri Get Out and Vote Eric Greitens,” Trump Attorney Rudy Giuliani declared. “I am personally very proud of President Trump for having the courage, the guts and the balls to stand behind Eric Greitens,” said John Fredericks, a right-wing radio host and friend of Steve Bannon. rattle in. “#BallsWins.”
On Trump’s own social media site, social truthOpinions on the endorsement varied widely, with many pro-Trump users arguing with each other in the comments section.
“Schmitt is an established RINO,” user “@MidnightLouie” wrote, while other pro-Trump users argued over which “Eric” was Trump’s favorite in the race.
On Tuesday morning, Greitens, who refers to himself as a “MAGA warrior,” appearing on Steve Bannon’s WarRoom show, said: “At the end of the day, this race is very simple… this is MAGA vs. [Mitch] McConnell.”
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