Trump endorses Larry Hogan in tight Maryland Senate race
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Former President Trump and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Former President Trump is endorsing former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's Senate campaign run.
Why it matters: Trump's comments to Fox News mark a surprising turn in Trump's posture toward the moderate Republican particularly after Hogan told voters to respect the jury's verdict in the New York hush money case.
What we're watching: "I'd like to see him win. I think he has a good chance to win… I know other people made some strong statements, but I can just say from my standpoint, I'm about the party and I'm about the country. And I would like to see him win," Trump told Fox News.
- It's a remarkable departure from the frustration that his co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita and RNC co-chair Lara Trump had for Hogan after he posted on X asking Americans to respect the legal process, minutes before a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty on 34 felon charges.
- "You just ended your campaign," LaCivita told Hogan on X.
Between the lines: Trump very rarely shows any goodwill toward candidates who do not support him, but he made an exception for Hogan because flipping Maryland's open Senate seat would go a long way in helping Republicans regain control of the Senate.
The big picture: Hogan, who is running in deep-blue Maryland against Democratic candidate and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, has a policy platform that is widely different from Trump's.
- In an Axios event earlier this year, Hogan said he would not be voting for Trump in November.
- Hogan has also shifted to the left on abortion rights, describing himself as "pro-life" and open to a "bipartisan compromise to restore Roe" after previously declining to say whether he would support legislation to codify Roe into federal law.
What they're saying: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee welcomed Trump's endorsement of Hogan, saying, "Donald Trump wants Republican Larry Hogan in the Senate.
- Meanwhile, Hogan's campaign emphasized his distance from Trump: "Governor Hogan has been clear he is not supporting Donald Trump just as he didn't in 2016 and 2020."
