Topline
Former President Donald Trump said Saturday he’s backing Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) for reelection, with the endorsement coming just two days after the January 6 committee announced it was investigating a tour Loudermilk gave of the Capitol the day before the Trump supporters stormed the building on January 6, 2021.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) attends a House Financial Services Committee on June 13, 2018, in … [+]
Key Facts
Trump called Loudermilk “a fantastic Representative for the incredible people of Georgia’s 11th Congressional District” in a brief endorsement message that made no mention of the controversy surrounding the tour.
Leaders of the January 6 committee sent a letter to Loudermilk on Thursday asking him to voluntarily answer questions about the tour, amid allegations rioters went on “reconnaissance” visits before storming the Capitol.
Republicans had previously asserted that no tours were given in the days leading up to January 6.
Loudermilk in response said he met with “a constituent family with young children” in “House Office Buildings,” slamming the committee’s investigation as a “political circus.”
The committee did not directly accuse Loudermilk of meeting with anyone involved in the rioting.
What We Don’t Know
Loudermilk has not said whether or not he will meet with the committee.
Key Background
Trump boasts of an extremely high success rate in his midterm endorsements, largely due to backing candidates like Loudermilk that are expected to breeze to reelection, but his results in high-profile races have been mixed. Last week, Trump-backed candidates won Pennsylvania’s GOP gubernatorial primary and the North Carolina Republican Senate primary, but his endorsed candidate for Idaho governor lost. Scandal-plagued Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) also went down in his House primary, despite Trump’s endorsement. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s endorsed candidate in the Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary, holds a razor-thin lead in the contest and has not yet declared victory more than three-and-a-half days after polls closed amid expectations the race will go to a recount.
Surprising Fact
Reports this week claimed Trump may slow down on endorsements, but the former president’s actions Saturday suggest the opposite might be happening. Trump issued nine endorsements over a stretch of about 90 minutes late Saturday morning into early afternoon, though all were for relatively low-profile House races.
Further Reading
January 6 Committee Says GOP Rep. Gave Capitol Tours Day Before Riot, Contradicting Denials (Forbes)
Madison Cawthorn Loses GOP Primary Amid Controversies (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/05/21/trump-endorses-loudermilk-whos-under-scrutiny-for-capitol-tour-day-before-jan-6/