The ‘Power’ of a Donald Trump Endorsement

Just over a week ago, JT Lewis, a candidate for Connecticut’s 28th District at the State Senate level, claimed that President Trump was “73-0” when it comes to election endorsements in the cycle from 2016-2020. Ironically enough, the reply from Lewis was in response to an endorsement handed down from the President to Matthew Mowers, the Republican candidate for New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district.

https://twitter.com/thejtlewis/status/1271166047538864128

The questionable accuracy of Lewis’ tweet is not what came to mind when I decided to write this piece. What struck me (and by now should come as no surprise really) is how similar every endorsement is on Twitter. They all follow the same basic structure:

“[Candidate’s name/Twitter handle] will be a [complimentary term] for the state of [candidate’s state]! He is strong on [top Republican issue], tough on [top Republican issue] and always protects [top Republican issue]. [Candidate’s name/Twitter handle] has my complete and total Endorsement! [#Congressional district]”

Here’s an example of two endorsements, both dished out within the space of about ten minutes.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1274066597892820997

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1274066550182612992

Remarkably similar, aren’t they?

Instead of personalizing each Tweet, they are all roughly the same. It smacks of a president who thinks he knows best, who is confident in the way he works and won’t change for anyone, even though he is endorsing potential members of Congress that he could come to rely on to get legislation passed.

It also shows the president’s contempt for a Congress that has so far failed to enact much of his 2016 campaign agenda. The only meaningful legislation passed so far in Trump’s first term was the tax cut Congress passed in 2017. Congress has been a stumbling block for the President, even when Republicans controlled both Houses.

Little wonder then that the President treats any member of Congress, Democrat or Republican, with a certain amount of disdain. You only have to look at the President’s relationship with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to see that the executive and the legislature have a difficult connection at best.

Only time will tell whether the president’s endorsement will help or hinder the candidates he has chosen to back in congressional and statewide elections. What we can infer from his Tweets bodes badly for those candidates, however, as they seek to come to terms with the fact they might have to deal with a tempestuous and tricky President Trump for another four years.