Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign team is expected to announce Friday he’s won the endorsements of more than half of Pennsylvania’s House GOP delegation.
The ex-president’s Pennsylvania backing reportedly flows from Reps. Mike Kelly, Dan Meuser, Scott Perry, Guy Reschenthaler and John Joyce. Their show of support helps him draw further away from his Republican rivals seeking the party’s official endorsement.
As of Thursday evening, Trump had received the backing of 56 of the 63 House Republicans who had so far endorsed a candidate, according to FiveThirtyEight, which is tracking congressional endorsements.
Trump continues to declare his innocence in light of the recent classified documents indictment and has vowed to fight on and clear his name.
WATCH: “I’M AN INNOCENT MAN!” Donald Trump Responds to News of Indictment in Classified Docs Case
His closest competitor remains Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who has the support of five House Republicans.
Politico reports Trump’s backers have worked hard to garner support from within the GOP. Reporter Alex Isenstadt outlines:
Trump and his team have been pushing aggressively to win the backing of congressional Republicans: Earlier this week, he hosted several of the Pennsylvania members for dinner at his Bedminster, N.J. golf club. Brian Jack, Trump’s former White House political director, coordinated the endorsements with the help of TV ad maker John Brabender, a Pennsylvania political veteran.
The indictment over Trump’s handling of classified documents has done little to dissuade congressional Republicans from backing the former president. Earlier this month, a day after the charges were unsealed, Trump traveled to Georgia, where he unveiled the endorsements of a pair of House Republicans from the state, Andrew Clyde and Mike Collins. Later that day, the former president went to North Carolina, where he received the backing of Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), who as chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee is a member of party leadership.
Congressional endorsements are seen as a traditional way for aspirants to high office to garnish public standing within and without their party.
In 2016, Trump carried all 67 Pennsylvania counties in the Presidential Primary and in November 2016, he became the first Republican in 28 years to win Pennsylvania in the Presidential Election.
Attendees listen as former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, US, on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. (Dustin Franz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump’s team on Friday said, “President Trump looks forward to working with this team to build a coalition of support that will compete for and earn the support of Pennsylvania’s Delegates to the Republican National Convention and win Pennsylvania’s 19 Electoral Votes next November.”