Trump Endorses Two Arizona Governor Candidates Amid Mixed Record of Recent Primary Picks

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Trump Endorses Two Arizona Governor Candidates Amid Mixed Record of Recent Primary Picks
Photo: New York Times
politics· A press review of 8 outlets
  1. Trump’s post continued: Both have had amazing careers, and have been with me from the beginning. They are MAGA and America First all the way! These were the two that I was hoping would get into a Runoff, and they did. I can’t hurt one of them by only Endorsing the other, so, therefore, I am going to Endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson!

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    Fox News

    Trump on Friday took to Truth Social to say that he was supporting longtime South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in the battle for the GOP nomination in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Henry McMaster.

    The Hill

    Trump endorses both GOP runoff candidates in South Carolina President Trump on Friday offered a rare dual endorsement for both Republican contenders in the race for South Carolina governor, an unexpected twist that comes just days before voters are set to return to the polls for a runoff. Trump initially put his full support behind the Palmetto State’s Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette for the GOP nomination, hailing her…

    Associated Press

    COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump changed his tune Friday heading into South Carolina’s runoff next week, saying either Republican contender for governor — not just Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, whom he endorsed before the primary earlier this month — would be a good pick.

    Washington Times

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — President Donald Trump changed his tune Friday heading into South Carolina’s runoff next week, saying either Republican contender for governor - not just Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, whom he endorsed before the primary earlier this month - would be a good pick.

    New York Times

    Trump Shifts Stance in South Carolina After Losses in Governor’s Races On Friday the president made the unusual move of endorsing both candidates in the Republican runoff for South Carolina governor, after initially supporting one of them.

  2. The move represents a hedging of Trump’s bets in a primary season where he has seen some of his endorsed candidates fall short, rare defeats that have stirred doubts about his clout as he approaches the back half of his second term.

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    Associated Press

    The move represents a hedging of Trump’s bets in a primary season where he has seen some of his endorsed candidates fall short, rare defeats that have stirred doubts about his clout as he approaches the back half of his second term.

  3. Has Trump double-barreled a primary endorsement before? Just before a 2022 U.S. Senate primary in Missouri between former Gov. Eric Greitens and Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Trump just endorsed “ERIC,” presumably meaning either candidate, both of whom claimed the endorsement. Schmitt won the nomination and the office.

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    Associated Press

    Has Trump double-barreled a primary endorsement before? Just before a 2022 U.S. Senate primary in Missouri between former Gov. Eric Greitens and Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Trump just endorsed “ERIC,” presumably meaning either candidate, both of whom claimed the endorsement. Schmitt won the nomination and the office.

    Fox News

    Most famously, Trump endorsed "ERIC" in the 2022 GOP Senate primary in Missouri, where the two major candidates were Eric Schmitt and Eric Greitens. Both candidates claimed the endorsement, with Schmitt ultimately winning the nomination.

  4. Arizona’s primary is not until next month but Trump has been endorsing Republican candidates for governor for the past two years. In late 2024, Trump said that he was endorsing housing developer Karrin Taylor Robson. His choice angered some of his biggest allies in the state, who are suspicious of Robson’s long-standing ties to the party’s business establishment. Then in April 2025, Trump said he was backing U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs - in addition to Robson.

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    Associated Press

    Arizona’s primary is not until next month but Trump has been endorsing Republican candidates for governor for the past two years. In late 2024, Trump said that he was endorsing housing developer Karrin Taylor Robson. His choice angered some of his biggest allies in the state, who are suspicious of Robson’s long-standing ties to the party’s business establishment. Then in April 2025, Trump said he was backing U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs — in addition to Robson.

  5. How are Trump-endorsed governor candidates doing this year? It has been a bit of a jumble when it comes to Trump’s 2026 primary picks so far.

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    Associated Press

    How are Trump-endorsed governor candidates doing this year? It has been a bit of a jumble when it comes to Trump’s 2026 primary picks so far.

  6. Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, in Ohio, and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, in Alabama, secured backing from Trump early in their campaigns for governor, and they went on to dominate their primaries. Like Evette, former state Sen. Mike Mazzei got Trump’s backing in his bid for Oklahoma governor in a crowded field without a clear front-runner, and advanced to an Aug. 25 runoff.

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    Associated Press

    Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, in Ohio, and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, in Alabama, secured backing from Trump early in their campaigns for governor, and they went on to dominate their primaries. Like Evette, former state Sen. Mike Mazzei got Trump’s backing in his bid for Oklahoma governor in a crowded field without a clear front-runner, and advanced to an Aug. 25 runoff.

  7. But Trump’s chosen gubernatorial candidates have failed in other contests. Aided by more than $100 million - mostly from his personal fortune - billionaire healthcare tycoon Rick Jackson battled his way to the Republican nomination in Georgia over Trump’s pick, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

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    Associated Press

    But Trump’s chosen gubernatorial candidates have failed in other contests. Aided by more than $100 million — mostly from his personal fortune — billionaire healthcare tycoon Rick Jackson battled his way to the Republican nomination in Georgia over Trump’s pick, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

    Politico

    Billionaire Rick Jackson defeats Trump-backed Burt Jones in Georgia governor race Jackson spent over $100 million of his personal wealth to beat back the GOP establishment. It worked.

    Fox News

    But in Georgia's GOP gubernatorial runoff, the candidate Trump backed, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who was also endorsed by Kemp this past weekend, was defeated by Rick Jackson, who ran as an outsider.

  8. U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, endorsed by Trump the same day as Evette, failed in his Iowa governor bid, losing to businessman Zach Lahn. Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

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    Associated Press

    U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, endorsed by Trump the same day as Evette, failed in his Iowa governor bid, losing to businessman Zach Lahn. Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

  9. In battleground Georgia's Republican Senate runoff, an 11th hour endorsement by Trump this past weekend helped boost Rep. Mike Collins, a MAGA champion, to victory over former college football coach Derek Dooley, who was backed by popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp.

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    Politico

    Mike Collins wins Georgia GOP Senate runoff, setting up major clash with Jon Ossoff Collins was boosted by a late-stage endorsement from President Donald Trump.

From the margins

4 details only one outlet reported

Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.

  1. 01 RealClearPolitics

    The two candidates for U.S. Senate in Georgia could hardly be more different, both in their presentations and their policies.

  2. 02 Breitbart

    “A successful Entrepreneur, Businesswoman, and Civic Leader, prior to becoming a distinguished Lieutenant Governor, and working with my friend, and GREAT Governor, Henry McMaster, Pam has proven she has the Courage and Wisdom to deliver strong results for the people of her wonderful State, and our Nation,” Trump added in a Truth Social post at the time.

  3. 03 Fox News

    And his decision to back both Evette and Wilson isn't the first time he's made dual endorsements in the same Republican race. He was backing both Gina Swoboda and Jay Feely in next month's Republican primary in Arizona's 1st Congressional District before Swoboda dropped out of the congressional race to run for secretary of state.

  4. 04 Politico

    We’re about to find out how powerful Brian Kemp really is with Georgia Republicans Tuesday will prove whether he has the juice to overcome a Trump endorsement in the Senate race and overcome a firehose of cash in the race to succeed him.

Assembled from 9 corroborated claims drawn from 8 independent outlets. Every passage above is taken verbatim — Dorothy doesn't paraphrase or summarize.

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Coverage by Perspective

Lean-Left
6
Center
1
Lean-Right
3
Right
2

Source Similarity

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Sources (8)

  • breitbart
  • nyt
  • washtimes
  • ap
  • politico
  • thehill
  • foxnews
  • rcp

Original Articles (12)