Donald Trump Endorses Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania’s GOP Gubernatorial Primary

Former President Donald J. Trump announced Saturday his endorsement  for Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania’s Republican gubernatorial primary.

“There is no one in Pennsylvania who has done more, or fought harder, for Election Integrity than State Senator Doug Mastriano,” Trump wrote in a statement. 

The 45th President continued: 

He has revealed the Deceit, Corruption, and outright Theft of the 2020 Presidential Election, and will do something about it. He will also Fight Violent Crime, Strengthen our Borders, Protect Life, Defend our under-siege Second Amendment, and Help our Military and our Vets. He is a fighter like few others, and has been with me right from the beginning, and now I have an obligation to be with him.

The Trafalgar Group recently released a poll that sampled 1,080 likely GOP primary voters between May 6-8 with a margin of error of 2.99 percentage points, showing Mastriano at the top of the crowded primary field. When asked who they would vote for if “the 2022 Republican primary for Governor were held today,” 27.6 percent of respondents selected the now-Trump-endorsed Mastriano. Former Rep. Lou Barletta (PA) garnered the second-highest total of respondents’ support at 17.6 percent, while Dave White and William McSwain rounded out the candidates near the top of the field, with 15.1 and 14.4 percent, respectively.

Barletta issued a statement following Trump’s endorsement of his opponent, confidently alluding to his belief that he would earn the nomination on Tuesday and subsequently gain the 45th’s President backing:

Throughout this campaign I have proved that I’m the best Republican to unite the Republican Party and defeat Josh Shapiro, and I will continue unifying our grassroots conservatives towards our shared goal. I will continue making the case to the people that I am the only candidate who can unite the party and bring victory in November. I look forward to having President Trump’s endorsement Wednesday morning.

Former Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA) and state senator Jake Corman recently dropped out of the race and have thrown their support behind Barletta. 

As Breitbart News’s John Binder noted, whoever takes home the nomination will face the state’s attorney general, Josh Shapiro (D), in the general election. In a recent advertisement, “Shapiro suggested that he would prefer to run against Mastriano, whom he seemingly views as a weaker opponent than Barletta,” Binder wrote. The New York Times reported that the video appears to be an attempt to boost Mastriano’s numbers. Binder highlights this as just one of seven issues Mastriano faces heading into Tuesday’s election. 

Trump’s statement went on to assert that “Mastriano and Dr. Mehmet Oz will make an unbeatable team going into the most important Midterm Election in the history of our Country.”

“They will Fight, they will Win, and they will Produce for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and for the USA itself,” he continued. 

“I have fully Endorsed Dr. Oz, and now it is my great honor to give my Complete and Total Endorsement to a man who will never let you down, Doug Mastriano for Governor of Pennsylvania!” Trump concluded.