- Trump backed hundreds of candidates ahead of the November election.
- Trump is ignoring advisers to support risky candidates, including Dr. Oz and JD Vance, sources told The Washington Post.
- Diluting the force of his approval could jeopardize his image as a Republican king.
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Former President Donald Trump has opposed councilors by approving risky candidates such as Dr. Mehmet Oz and JD Vance in the Republican’s primary election, sources told The Washington Post.
The former president is campaigning for elections in November, supporting hundreds of candidates for various positions, often simply because they support his allegations of electoral fraud, the newspaper said.
Some councilors fear that he is eroding the strength of his approval and that if his desired candidates do not win, it will jeopardize his image as a Republican king, sources told The Post.
“The biggest way to defeat him is to electorally reject the idea that he is the most powerful endorsement in the country,” Alice Farah Griffin, a former director of communications at Trump’s White House, told The Post.
“He still is, but smart operatives have to play against him in competitions where he makes stupid approvals.”
Trump has made various risky approvals, including David Purdue against incumbent Brian Kemp in Georgia’s run for governor. Perdue lags behind Kemp in the polls by seven points even after approval.
In the race for the Pennsylvania Senate, Trump also supported the television personality Dr. Oz in a surprising move against the advice of some of his advisers, writes The Post.
Days before the decision, the former president also had dinner with Dr. Oz’s rival, former hedge fund chief executive David McCormick, the paper said.
His decision to support Oz was met with considerable reaction from Republican circles in Pennsylvania, the newspaper reported.
“I’m a gambler,” Trump said of the Pennsylvania race, according to a source who spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity.
“There is no rhyme or reason for everything he does. I would think he will support McCormick,” Alice Farah Griffin told The Post.
However, she said Trump “loves celebrities. Dr. Oz is a constant place in South Florida’s country clubs. He attends every charity event.”
Trump’s decision this weekend to support Hillbilly Elegy author JD Vance in the Ohio Senate race also contradicts the advice of some in his circle, according to The Post.
Dozens of Ohio Republicans wrote to Trump before announcing their support, urging him to change his mind over Vance’s previous comments against Trump.
Although previously described as “Never Trump,” Vance now positions himself as a close ally of the former president.
“Everything is for victory! Like some others, JD Vance may have said some not-so-great things about me in the past, but he understands it now and I’ve seen it in spades. “It’s our best chance of winning what could be a very tough race,” Trump said in a statement in support of Vance.
Vance is lagging behind in many polls in the currently crowded race, but Trump is reportedly ready to take the risk.
Dan Eberhard, a Republican donor, told The Washington Post that Trump’s approval was “idiotic.”
“His goal is to reward the underdogs or upset the apple cart,” Eberhart told the newspaper.
Although Trump has not yet confirmed that he will run in public in 2024, he has signaled to councilors that he intends, according to The Post.
GOP sources previously told Tom Porter of Insider about the secret process by which candidates prove their loyalty to Trump in order to gain the desired approval.
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