Donald Trump is testing his political power for the second week in a row on Tuesday, this time in Nebraska, where the former president backs a gubernatorial candidate accused of sexually assaulting multiple women.
The choice of Trump in the narrow tripartite election for Republican governor is cattle producer and businessman Charles Herbster, who previously led Republicans running for governor. But in mid-April, Republican Sen. Julie Slam and seven other women said Herbster had touched or touched them inappropriately. Slama said Herbster raised her skirt at a political event in 2019.
Other women also spoke in the minutes in support of the allegations against Herbster, as well as the men who witnessed the incidents. One woman said Herbster kissed her forcibly.
Nebraska Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster rallies on May 1 in Greenwood, Nebraska (Kenneth Ferriera / Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
Herbster not only denied the allegations, but attacked Slama in a 30-second television commercial and sued her for alleged defamation. Herbster’s ad does not mention Straw by name, but claims that his “prosecutor” invited him to her wedding. Slama said the invitation was mistakenly emailed and has filed a counterclaim against Herbster.
Slam’s lawyers said Herbster was involved in “a frivolous and unscrupulous attempt to harass a victim of sexual violence in order to remain silent.”
Herbster also claims to be a victim of a political witch hunt led by Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, who supports pig farmer and board member of the University of Nebraska Jim Pilen. Both Ricketts and Pilen rejected Herbster’s claims.
The poll was rare, so it’s hard to know exactly where the race is. However, all available data show that Pilen and Herbster are on hand, and the third candidate – Senator Brett Lindstrom – is also at a staggering distance.
However, Trump went to Nebraska on May 1 to campaign with Herbster and found him innocent. “I have to protect my friends, I have to protect people who are good. “These are malicious accusations to derail him long enough for the election to pass before the right defense can be presented,” the former president said.
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Trump is trying to push Herbster – who was with Trump’s children in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021, during the attack on the US Capitol – over the finish line, reiterating the Republican’s claim that he was unjustly notorious for political goals. This is a more difficult argument, as prosecutors are also Republicans, but Herbster is focused on Ricketts’ support for Pilen. Herbster tells voters he is an outsider who challenges the political establishment.
Charles Herbster, left, shakes hands with former President Donald Trump at a May 1 rally in Greenwood, Nebraska (Kenneth Ferriera / Lincoln Journal Star via AP)
The allegations against Herbster are being dropped by voters, and the race may ultimately boil down to how many Nebraska Republicans view allegations of sexual misconduct on the merits of how prone they are to interpreting the allegations through the prism of the anti-establishment.
But there is another wrinkle. More than 8,000 Nebraska Democrats have changed their registrations in recent weeks to vote in the Republican primary. The last primary election for governor in 2014 was decided by just over 2,000 votes. Some observers speculate that the changing parties could vote for Lindstrom because he is the most moderate Republican, but there is little to give an idea.
If Herbster wins on Tuesday, it will further isolate Trump from losses that appear likely in at least one high-profile race for his favorite candidates later this month.
In Georgia, Trump’s vendetta against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has the opposite effect. Trump tried to oust Kemp by defeating him in the Republican primary, but Republicans in Georgia appear ready to nominate Kemp for a second time and reject Trump’s nomination for former Sen. David Purdue.
But in Pennsylvania, where Republicans will hold primary elections in a week, TV man Mehmet Oz has climbed in opinion polls after Trump’s approval. Oz is locked in a tough three-way race with former hedge fund chief executive Dave McCormick and conservative commentator Katie Barnett.
Pennsylvania Senate nominee Mehmet Oz, left, and former President Donald Trump rally in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, on Friday. (Gene J. Puskar / AP)
Herbster’s loss in Nebraska, followed by Oz’s loss in Pennsylvania next week, will heighten the impact of Purdue’s loss to Georgia on May 24. This will increase speculation about the challenges facing Trump from other Republican presidential candidates in the 2024 primary.
On the other hand, if Herbster wins, it will send a signal of the readiness of Republican voters to oppose accusations of sexual violence and harassment. And if Herbster and Oz win, it will minimize the impact of a potential loss to Perdue later this month and the quiet chatter about a nomination without Trump in 2024.
Last week, all 22 Trump-approved candidates in Ohio and Indiana won their primary Republican contests, including U.S. Senate-elected Buccaneer JD Vance. Trump spoke negatively about Ohio Gov. Mike DeWain, but ultimately did not support any of his opponents.
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