Trump Announces "Anti-Endorsement" of GOP Candidate for PA Gov

APR 12 2022·Updated JAN 23 2023

Story

Image credit: AP [via The Washington Post]

The Facts

Former President Trump took to social media on Tues. to announce that he wouldn't be supporting GOP candidate Bill McSwain in the race for Gov. of PA.
Axios
"Do not vote for Bill McSwain, a coward, who let our country down," read his statement about the man who he appointed as US attorney for PA, accusing him of doing "absolutely nothing on the massive election fraud that took place in Philadelphia and throughout the commonwealth."
The Hill
McSwain is part of a crowded field aiming to replace PA Gov. Tom Wolfe (D).
Axios
He rose to prominence in GOP circles last summer, when he sent a personal letter to Trump seeking his endorsement in the race and seeming to assert that former Trump AG Bill Barr blocked him from investigating alleged voting irregularities in 2020.
The Hill
Trump took aim at McSwain's alleged failings, noting that McSwain "knew what was happening and let it go. It was there for the taking and he failed so badly."
wapo
McSwain responded in his own statement that he has prosecuted voter fraud - as well as looting and rioting - and would ensure election integrity if elected Gov.
The Hill

Sources Split

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The Spin

Democratic narrative

"It was there for the taking." Once again the disgraced, twice-impeached former president has signed his own confession by arguing that McSwain should've helped him overturn the results of a free and fair election. In Trump's world, might makes right, and the only failure is the failure to use power to keep power.

CNN

Pro-Trump narrative

82% of Republicans maintain a "favorable" or "somewhat favorable" view of Trump. He remains the GOP kingmaker, and his endorsement is worth its weight in gold. It's his responsibility to choose candidates who align with his vision of America First, and that includes the critical issue of election security.

Roll Call

Cynical narrative

Trump's firm grip on the Republican party remains strong. But his idiosyncratic endorsements in local races across the country offer very little insight into this reality. The press should stop focusing on such messy data points and consider instead the bigger picture - the views of GOP candidates on what occurred in 2020 is a better litmus test.

Columbia Journalism Review