“Donald Trump recently delivered the news to Rep. Matt Rosendale: He wouldn’t win the former president’s coveted endorsement if he runs in the GOP primary for the US Senate seat in Montana, a decision with major implications in the high-stakes battle for control of the Senate,” CNN reports.
“In West Virginia, Trump privately suggested to Rep. Alex Mooney that he is unlikely to back him in the Senate GOP primary over Gov. Jim Justice, the candidate backed by Republican leaders, in part because of his loyalty to the West Virginia governor.”
“The twin developments will be welcome news for GOP leaders, who have been carefully maneuvering for months to try to keep Trump from undermining their efforts to prop up their preferred candidates in the nation’s most pivotal Senate races.”
Playbook: “Trump’s decisions are in part due to his shared antipathy with the NRSC for the Club for Growth, which is backing more insurgent, hard-right primary candidates. He’s also more focused on his presidential campaign than wading into Senate primaries. He feels loyal to Justice — and miffed that Rosendale hasn’t endorsed him yet.”
