Donald Trump’s sway over Republicans up in air after mixed primary results
- Former US president Donald Trump’s role as a Republican power player tested in midterm primaries
- The vast majority of Trump-backed candidates have won their races, but there have been setbacks
Is Donald Trump still the ultimate power player in the Republican Party? That question is unanswered after mixed results for candidates endorsed by the former president in key primary elections across the United States.
In the wake of Tuesday’s contests to choose candidates to run for Congress or state governorships in November, Trump took to his own Truth Social – which he launched after being barred from Twitter – to emphasise the positive.
“A big night for Trump Endorsed candidates last night,” he wrote on Wednesday.
Since the start of this month, when primary season kicked into high gear ahead of the crucial midterm elections, in which Republicans are seeking to seize control of Congress from President Joe Biden’s Democrats, Team Trump has been riding high.
The vast majority of his candidates, from West Virginia to bestselling author J.D. Vance in Ohio, have won their races.
And on Tuesday, the Trump camp notched some signature wins: his choices earned the Republican nomination for governor in Pennsylvania and the party’s Senate nod in North Carolina.