Trump-endorsed candidate loses congressional primary to a rival who had quit the race

Donald Trump appears to put a great deal of stock in the power of his endorsement and his professed ability to choose election winners singlehandedly, especially in Republican primaries. Last September, for example, the president said, “Do you know, almost every single person I’ve endorsed has won? I can’t think of anyone who hasn’t. If I endorse a person, they win. … With the Republican Party, it’s like 399-0. Think of that.”

As recently as March, he added, “My Endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable! It is such an honor to realize and say that almost everyone I Endorse WINS, and wins by a lot.”

Months later, it’s worth dwelling on the words “virtually” and “almost.”

In early June, in Iowa’s gubernatorial race, Trump threw his support behind Rep. Randy Feenstra, who narrowly lost his Republican primary to Zach Lahn. Two weeks later, the president endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in Georgia’s gubernatorial primary, and Jones lost to healthcare executive Rick Jackson by roughly 5 points.

The latest example, however, is the most embarrassing to date. MS NOW reported:

Amir Hassan, a former federal law enforcement officer backed by Trump, has lost the Republican primary for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District to a candidate who suspended his campaign in July, according to The Associated Press’s projection.

Thomas Smith, the projected winner, dropped out of the race just weeks before Election Day. His name stayed on the ballot because he suspended his campaign after election officials had already finalized the ballots.

Just one day before Michigan’s primary, Trump not only endorsed Hassan, but he also used his social media platform to sing the candidate’s praises. The presidential post concluded, “Amir Hassan has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Michigan’s 8th Congressional District. … GET OUT AND VOTE FOR AMIR – HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

With just about all of the votes counted, the candidate endorsed by the president lost the GOP congressional primary by roughly 17 points to a rival who was no longer running.

In terms of the race itself, Smith is now a candidate again, and he’ll face off against incumbent Democratic Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet in November.

But in the meantime, Trump has yet to explain why his preferred candidate managed to perform so poorly, and why Republicans with his backing end up losing more often than he likes to admit.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.

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