An anti-Trump Republican is considering self-funding a campaign to primary Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in Indiana, sources say, but prominent MAGA figures are doubling down in their support of Banks, the frontrunner.
A source familiar with John Rust’s deliberations tells Breitbart News he is worth millions and has been telling those close to him he is planning to self-fund the campaign against Banks, one of the most conservative House members who is also endorsed by former President Donald Trump and many of his allies.
The Rust family owns Rose Acre Farms, a top egg producer in the country, with John as its chairman, his Twitter notes. His account also reveals he does not support Trump, whose endorsement weight has cemented him as the GOP primary kingmaker in statewide and federal elections.
In April, Ken Cuccinelli, the founder of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) Never Back Down Super PAC, tweeted a screenshot of internal polling from Public Opinion Strategies showing DeSantis faring better against President Joe Biden than Trump does in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Rust responded to the tweet, writing, “We don’t need a repeat of 2020.”
While Rust considers entering a challenge to Banks, an ally of the congressman tells Breitbart News that whoever is advising Rust has severely led him astray.
“Whichever consultant is convincing Rust that there is any room in the primary for a challenger to Banks, especially from an anti-Trumper, has seriously misled him,” the ally said. The source warned:
There isn’t a U.S. Senate candidate in the country who has done more to unify the conservative movement behind him than Jim and any establishment self-funder who runs against him won’t be doing anything except lighting millions of dollars on fire and putting himself through what will be a vicious public vetting of every aspect of his life and business.
Moreover, some of the 45th president’s top allies have doubled down on their support for Banks in comments to Breitbart News, including Donald Trump Jr, who drew a line in the sand between MAGA Republicans and “any big money RINO” or “Republican in name only.”
“Jim Banks is an incredibly strong America First conservative and it’s a shame that an establishment self-funder is even considering a challenge to him,” he said. “But rest assured, MAGA will fight like hell to ensure that Jim is victorious against any big money RINO who decides to run against him.”
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), who already endorsed Banks, shared a similar sentiment to Trump’s, telling Breitbart News that Rust will have to reckon with the America First movement if he vies for the nomination.
“I really hope the rumor that establishment consultants are attempting to recruit a self-funder to run against Trump-endorsed Jim Banks in Indiana is wrong,” Vance said. “It would be bad news for America First, but good news for the DC machine and their wallets. If it happens, you better believe that the entire America First movement is ready to go to war for Jim.”