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)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

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. 

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. 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
    really??

  2. Please, little donnie, give him the kiss of death…

  3. I wonder if donnie couldn’t communicate with us without actually using words because he does a shit job of it.

    “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.”

  4. Donald J. Trump: The baby at every baptism. The bride at every wedding. The corpse at every funeral. The asshole at every sphincter.

  5. 99%? What about Ms. Palin, an endorsee who cost the Rs the Alaska seat that they basically owned?

    I live in northern NH. Folks around here have their whole houses covered with huge Trump 2024 Stop Socialism billboards and the road is lined with Trump flags. Some of the places remind me of little Catholic shrines, except instead of a pederast, their saint–or is he a God–is a racist liar and sexual predator.

    Fortunately they are a minority. And nastiness towards our popular non-extreme non-MAGA non-McConnellist R Gov–who’s actually interested in governing!–is a losing proposition with the Independent/swing voters, who are moderate. Bolduc will not be our Senator and will hurt the whole party’s ticket. Even the scum ultra-MAGA Lewendowski knows how badly Bolduc is sure to lose, and has been aggressively telling Trump not to endorse him. I hope Trump endorses Bolduc :slightly_smiling_face:

    PS: First time using a smiley here. What a wonderful option Josh and company have provided us! We are the new The Atlantic!

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

32 more replies

Participants

Avatar for runfastandwin Avatar for sabatia Avatar for josephebacon Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for globalguy Avatar for epicurus Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for inversion Avatar for dont Avatar for debg Avatar for sparrowhawk Avatar for benthere Avatar for mainemomma Avatar for jinnj Avatar for wintermoon Avatar for tiowally Avatar for jmacaz Avatar for brian512 Avatar for coimmigrant Avatar for pablointhegazebo Avatar for jwbuho Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for timbomov Avatar for madassyrian

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: