Trump Flirts With Bolduc Endorsement But Resists Committing In Key New Hampshire Senate Race

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 10: Former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)
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With less than two weeks left until the New Hampshire Senate primary, former President Donald Trump is playing coy with his endorsement, which could dramatically reshape the race. 

“So I’ve been watching it. They want the endorsement,” Trump said on the right-wing John Fredericks radio show Thursday morning. “You know the numbers, I’m almost like at 99 percent on endorsements. So everybody wants the endorsement.” 

He added that retired Army Brigadier General Don Bolduc — a conspiracy theorist who’s leading in the polls and has been salivating for the Trump nod — has said some “great things” and is a “strong guy, tough guy.” 

Fredericks urged Trump to get behind Bolduc, calling him “grassroots, true MAGA.” 

Trump declined to give Bolduc the nod in 2020 when he was challenging Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). He tossed Bolduc a one line affirmation of his performance on Fox and Friends back in 2021 via his Save America leadership PAC email — which both Bolduc and incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) seized on in their campaigns. 

Trump added on the show that he’d taken calls on the New Hampshire race “literally yesterday.” 

Bolduc has been doubling establishment pick state Senate President Chuck Morse (R) in recent polls, though the surveys reflect high levels of voter indecision.  

A PAC tied to a Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) ally is dumping $4 million into the state over the next couple weeks, trying to boost the low-energy Morse campaign with a flood of ad buys. 

Republicans worry that Bolduc — who planted his flag in support of repealing the 17th Amendment at a recent debate and has called the popular Republican New Hampshire governor a “Chinese communist sympathizer” — will put a potentially flippable seat completely out of reach. 

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