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Former President Donald Trump's presidential campaign has the backing of two crucial Republicans —Sen. Steven Daines of Montana and Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who chair the Senate and House GOP campaign committees respectively.
Daines unveiled his endorsement on Monday, telling Donald Trump Jr. on his podcast that he was "proud" to endorse Trump.
"The best four years I’ve had in the U.S. Senate is when President Trump was serving the Oval Office," he said, specifically referencing the GOP's tax cut legislation and the confirmation of Trump-nominated judges, among other agenda items.
Hudson confirmed his endorsement of Trump in November, just after the former president announced he would run again.
“I’ve said I support the president if he plans to run again,” he told CBS17.
Both chairs endorsed Trump in their personal capacities, not on behalf of their respective campaign committees. But both officials wield significant power in Washington and will play a major role in supporting their party's nominees in down-ballot elections next year. And their decision to endorse Trump's bid shows how key Republicans are looking to keep Trump in the fold as he remains the party's standard-bearer, and yet significantly less popular among Americans at large.
Both committees are coming off a midterm election where they underperformed. Senate Republicans lost one seat, granting Democrats a clear majority in the upper chamber. House Republicans flipped their chamber, but have a majority of just five seats.
Some Republicans partially blamed Trump for his party's less than stellar performance in 2022. Some of his top endorsed candidates in primaries made it through, but underperformed in the general election, including Georgia Senate Republican nominee Herschel Walker and Arizona GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake.