RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesTrump had backed MAGA Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee as a ‘Conservative Warrior’ 24 hours before his defeat
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President Donald Trump has touted his endorsement record in the Republican primary elections, brushing off the defeat of one of his backed candidates who had “virtually no chance of winning.”
“Last night was another good night for Endorsements, 8-1, and the 1 was a person who I remained loyal to even though he had virtually no chance of winning, and was running against a Great “Trump” Candidate, and former Agricultural Commissioner of Tennessee, named Charlie Hatcher,” Trump said Friday on Truth Social.
The “1” the president was referring to was MAGA Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, who lost the Republican primary in the Volunteer State’s newly redrawn 5th Congressional District Thursday night.
Some 24 hours earlier, Trump had praised Ogles as “a Conservative Warrior” who enjoyed the “complete and total endorsement” of the president as he sought a third term.
After Ogles’ defeat, Trump then threw his support behind Hatcher, who is set to face Democrat Chaz Molder in November. “Good luck Charlie! Run tough and hard,” his Truth Social post continued. “You have my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
A member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, Ogles faced scrutiny over his campaign finances and resume. Despite these controversies, Trump offered an early endorsement last fall.
Among Ogles' past controversies was the FBI's seizure of his cellphone in 2024 as part of a campaign finance investigation, though the Justice Department has since agreed to return the device, signaling the probe's abandonment. In 2023, he also acknowledged misrepresenting his college degree.
Hatcher won the primary with 53.2 percent of the vote to Ogles’ 46.8 percent when the race was called by the Associated Press.
“You know nobody likes to lose, but the results are in, and look, we fought a great race. Charlie fought a great race, and at the end of the day, he prevailed,” Ogles said following the defeat.
Trump previously bragged that his “endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable,” and that “almost everyone I Endorse WINS, and wins by a lot.”
The president suffered a second defeat this week when his preferred candidate in the Michigan Republican primary, Amir Hassan, lost to a candidate who suspended his campaign last month.
Hassan finished with roughly 33.2 percent of the vote while Thomas J. Smith, a retired engineer, pulled way ahead with 50.4 percent, according to the Associated Press.
Smith faces the incumbent Democrat, Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, in November.
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