Do Trump’s Endorsements Move Voters? Tuesday Will Test His Electoral Mojo

Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is introduced by then-South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Henry McMaster at a campaign rally in Florence, S.C., in February 2016. Now Trump is president and McMaster is governor and campaigning for a full term.

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Two of the things President Trump likes most are winning and loyalty, and both have clearly been on his mind as he’s doled out prized political endorsements this year.

For candidates this cycle in a Republican primary, winning Trump’s endorsement is political gold. It can push them over the finish line in a tough race, and it gives the president a chance to claim credit for their victories and get some of the glory.

But the president has had a mixed record of picking winners and losers since he took office. Attacking and taunting politicians he’s deemed disloyal has worked in getting them knocked off in some cases, or in pressuring them not to run. And while Trump’s endorsement is highly sought after in GOP primaries, it’s also not a silver bullet.