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EXCLUSIVE: Senate Minority Whip John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican chief, is endorsing former President Donald Trump for re-election.
It’s a key win for Trump from the institution wing of the Republican Party. The South Dakota Republican is Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s prime deputy in the Senate GOP.
“The primary results in South Carolina make clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee for president in this year’s pivotal presidential election. The choice before the American people is crystal clear: It’s Donald Trump or Joe Biden,” Thune instructed Fox News Digital.
TRUMP MOVES CLOSER TO LOCKING UP GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION WITH 20-POINT WIN IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Senate GOP Whip John Thune introduced on Sunday that he is endorsing former President Trump for 2024. (Getty Images)
“I support former President Trump’s campaign to win the presidency, and I intend to do everything I can to see that he has a Republican majority in the Senate working with him to restore American strength at home and abroad,” he continued.
“Together we must put an end to the disastrous Biden-Schumer agenda. Our country cannot endure another four years of Bidenomics, continued lawlessness at our southern border, and American weakness on the global stage.”
Thune and Trump spoke by cellphone on Saturday night time after Trump’s commanding victory in the South Carolina Republican primary, a supply accustomed to the decision instructed Fox News Digital.
It wasn’t clear prior to now whether or not Thune, who’s seen as one in all McConnell’s potential successors to steer the Senate Republican Conference, would endorse both of the 2 main candidates for the 2024 GOP nomination.
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is unlikely to weigh in on the 2024 Republican presidential primary. (Getty Images)
Like McConnell, he prompt he would help whoever Republican voters selected as their presidential nominee, however Thune has for probably the most half prevented mentioning the previous president.
He beforehand endorsed South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott’s presidential marketing campaign and was current at Scott’s launch occasion. Scott dropped out in November and endorsed Trump final month.
The Sunday announcement places added stress on McConnell, who has dismissed scrutiny on whether or not his frosty relationship with Trump would cease him from endorsing the ex-president in the Republican primary.
McConnell stated at a press convention earlier this month when requested concerning the race, “I’ve stayed essentially out of it and when I change my mind about that, I’ll let you know.”
Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina, misplaced her dwelling state primary to Trump. (Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg by way of Getty Images)
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Both Thune and McConnell had been focused by Trump for criticizing his dealing with of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the 2020 election.
Thune gained a landslide re-election victory for a fourth Senate time period in 2022 regardless of Trump calling for a primary challenger towards him.
His endorsement of the previous president comes after Trump beat former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley in her dwelling state primary on Saturday night time. The ex-president gained roughly 60% of the vote in comparison with 40% for Haley.
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