Former President Donald Trump endorsed Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s (R) reelection bid Tuesday on the condition he would not back Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in her reelection bid next year.
“Alaska needs Mike Dunleavy as Governor now more than ever,” Trump wrote in his endorsement. “He has my Complete and Total Endorsement but, this endorsement is subject to his non-endorsement of Senator Lisa Murkowski who has been very bad for Alaska.”
“In other words, if Mike endorses her, which is his prerogative, my endorsement of him is null and void, and of no further force or effect,” the former president explained.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) speaks at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 16, 2020, during an event on Rolling Back Regulations to Help All Americans. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump also touted Dunleavy as a “strong and consistent” conservative, in addition to “his handling of the virus, support of the Constitution—including the Second and Tenth Amendments—taking advantage of all the opportunities Alaska has to offer.”
Trump added that Dunleavy has had strong pushback against “the Liberal Biden Administration’s attempt to hurt our great Country.”
However, Trump’s conditioned endorsement for Dunleavy is a part of the former president’s promise to campaign against Murkowski in retaliation against her vote to impeach him earlier this year after the January 6 incident at the Capitol.
This year, Trump endorsed Murkowski’s Republican primary challenger Kelly Tshibaka, who happens to be the former commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Administration in Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration.
At the time, Trump said, “Tshibaka is the candidate who can beat Murkowski,” in addition to touting her being “a fighter who stands for Alaska values and America First.”
Murkowski announced in November that she will seek reelection.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter.