Eric Schmitt’s Campaign Downplays Importance of a Trump Endorsement Day Before Missouri Election

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s campaign is downplaying the importance of President Donald J. Trump’s endorsement after the 45th president slammed his campaign last night over a poll Republican strategists say was false.

With the election Tuesday, Trump took to Truth Social Monday and announced he would be endorsing a candidate at some point in the day. The post came hours after he bashed Schmitt’s campaign over a poll commissioned by operatives associated with the campaign that Republican strategists say purposefully undercounted Trump’s support to boost Schmitt’s numbers.

“Wow, great dishonesty in politics. Too bad!” Trump wrote of the Remington Research Group poll — commissioned by operatives associated with the Schmitt campaign — in a Truth Social post. Remington was launched by the political consulting firm Axiom Strategies, which was founded by Jeff Roe — Schmitt’s top consultant. As Trump has already counted out Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), and with his chastising of the Schmitt campaign making it highly unlikely he endorses the attorney general, it appears former Gov. Eric Greitens (R-MO) is the favorite to land Trump’s coveted endorsement.

On Monday afternoon, Lane Osborn, an intern with the Schmitt campaign, downplayed the importance of President Trump’s support in the race, asserting that Schmitt would still win if Trump endorses another candidate. 

While the intern may be confident in Schmitt’s ability to overcome a Trump-endorsed opponent, the track record this mid-term election cycle indicates Schmitt’s campaign should be gravely concerned if Trump goes in another direction.

At this point in the midterm election primaries, all 13 Trump-endorsed candidates for U.S. Senate have been perfect in their primary races, while Trump’s overall endorsement record sits at 147-10, meaning candidates with his backing have a 94 percent chance of winning a particular race.

According to St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, on Monday PBS anchor Yamiche Alcindor asked Schmitt, “How concerned are you that Trump might not endorse you? How critical is that endorsement?”

“I’d love to have it, and it’s his decision,” Schmitt said, before falling back on an establishment talking point that his opponent, former Gov. Eric  Greitens (R-MO), is vulnerable to a Democrat in the general election, which has been debunked by multiple third-party analysts, including Decision Desk.