(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Trump endorses McGuire in fiercely fought GOP primary in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District [1] ['Markus Schmidt', 'More Markus Schmidt', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar'] Date: 2024-05-28 Updated 4:45 p.m. May 28: This story has been updated include comments from Rep. Bob Good. For more on the June 18 primaries, see our voter guide. With just three weeks until the June 18 primary elections, former President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed state Sen. John McGuire, R-Goochland County, in his challenge to Rep. Bob Good, R-Campbell County, the incumbent in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. “Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “He turned his back on our incredible movement, and was constantly attacking and fighting me until recently, when he gave a warm and ‘loving’ Endorsement — But really, it was too late. The damage had been done.” Good and McGuire are engaged in one of the nation’s most viciously fought nomination contests during this election cycle. After Good in May of last year endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president, McGuire decided to get into the race despite his public promises that he would not challenge Good and focus on his campaign in Virginia’s newly created 10th Senate District instead. “When I found out that [Good] wasn’t who he said he was, he lost my support. After I won my convention, he begged Trump for an endorsement. And less than a year later, he betrayed Trump when the chips were down,” McGuire said in a recent interview. Within hours of winning his state Senate seat in November, McGuire became the first Virginia lawmaker to endorse Trump. One week later, he announced that he would challenge Good for the Republican nomination in the 5th District — a move that angered many local Republicans. McGuire made his unshaken support for Trump the centerpiece of his campaign, and the former president took notice. In January, just days after he had taken his oath of office as a state senator, McGuire made national headlines when Cardinal News first reported that Chris LaCivita, Trump’s senior adviser and campaign manager, put Good on notice as payback for his endorsement of DeSantis. “Bob Good won’t be electable when we get done with him,” LaCivita said in a text message at the time. McGuire has since campaigned with Trump in Iowa and met with the former president at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Earlier this month he was invited to join Trump in his motorcade to court in New York City, where he is currently standing trial for allegedly trying to conceal his hush money payments to former porn star Stormy Daniels. Just minutes after DeSantis’ announcement in January that he would end his 2024 presidential bid, Good turned to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to endorse Trump, who at the time was the front-runner for the Republican nomination. “It is my privilege to provide my complete and total endorsement for Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States. President Trump was the greatest President of my lifetime, and we need him to reinstate the policies that were working so well for America,” Good wrote. But the damage had been done, as Trump made clear in his endorsement of McGuire on Monday. In his Truth Social post, the presumptive Republican nominee for president praised McGuire as a “highly respected State Legislator” and a true American hero, referring to the lawmaker’s prior service in the U.S. Navy SEALs. “John, who fought the Cartels on the Front Line, and then came home and fought the drug dealers in Virginia, will ALWAYS PUT AMERICA FIRST.” Trump went on to claim that he had “the safest Border in history” during his presidency, until Biden “ruined” it. “John and I will correct this situation, and fast! He is strong on crime, will protect our great Military/Vets, and will always defend our under the siege Second Amendment. John McGuire has my Complete and Total Endorsement. MAGA2024” Trump’s endorsement of McGuire deals a major blow to Good’s reelection bid at a time when the congressman is already facing an uphill battle. Earlier this month, McGuire’s campaign released an internal poll by national GOP pollster Battleground Connect showing that 45% of voters in the district would support McGuire, as opposed to 31% who said they would support Good. Good said in a text message on Tuesday that he has never been “the choice of political power brokers” in Washington. “The people of Virginia’s 5th District know me better than anyone, and I trust them. I believe they will renominate me on June 18, because they understand and appreciate that I have fought for them during my three years in Washington.” Touting a list of recent endorsements, Good said that he is “overwhelmingly supported” by the grassroots GOP leaders and local elected officials in the 5th District. He added that McGuire does not have an America-first conservative record in the General Assembly. “That is why he is supported by the RINO-moderate establishment wing of the Republican Party. And it is why he is funded by allies of the former speaker who is directing the dark super PAC money in support of his campaign,” Good said, referring to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whom he helped oust last year. “The people of Virginia’s 5th District will not let this seat be bought by the D.C. and California swamp. We will prevail for America First on June 18.” David Richards, a political analyst and chair of the political science program at the University of Lynchburg, said that Trump’s endorsement wasn’t unexpected. “McGuire has been courting him for months now and Trump earlier expressed his displeasure with Good endorsing DeSantis in the primary,” Richards said. “But it will be a litmus test to see if Trump can turn out voters. If McGuire wins or even comes close, that would mean that Trump still can get people to the polls, and it might spell trouble for Biden in the fall. If McGuire loses by a large margin it might mean that Trump has lost some of his magic touch. For this reason alone it makes the June 18 primary one of the more important primaries nationally.” McGuire in a statement Tuesday thanked Trump for the endorsement. “I’ve been with Trump since he came down the escalator and when I’m in Congress, I’ll back his agenda and put America First! Trump is exactly right about Bob Good. Our country is in dire peril under Biden and we need Trump to Save America. We cannot trust Bob Good. Trump has recognized that I’m the 100% MAGA candidate in this race and I appreciate it.” The 5th Congressional District. Courtesy of Virginia Supreme Court. [END] --- [1] Url: https://cardinalnews.org/2024/05/28/trump-endorses-mcguire-in-fiercely-fought-gop-primary-in-virginias-5th-congressional-district/ Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/