Trump Endorses Candidates in GOP Primaries

President Trump is intervening aggressively in Republican primaries to avoid costly intraparty fights that could drain resources and weaken the GOP ahead of this fall's midterm elections. He has also backed candidates in nearly two-thirds of Senate races.

Republican operatives credit the early and decisive interventions with helping the party maintain focus on general-election contests against Democrats. The strategy was on display last week in Kentucky, where Trump asked businessperson Nate Morris to drop his Senate primary bid against Rep.

Andy Barr. Morris, who had been endorsed by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, stepped aside and Trump subsequently announced he would appoint Morris to an ambassadorship. A similar sequence occurred in March when Trump withdrew support from Hope Scheppelman in her challenge to Rep.

Jeff Hurd in Colorado. After determining Hurd had a stronger general-election path, Trump urged Scheppelman to exit the race and later said she would join the administration. In Indiana, five of seven Republican state senators who opposed a Trump-favored congressional redistricting map lost their primaries Tuesday to challengers who carried the president's explicit endorsement.

Only state Sen. Greg Goode retained his seat. The map would likely have added two Republican-leaning U.S. House districts. Trump has also targeted incumbents who have broken with him on policy. In Kentucky's 4th Congressional District he is backing Ed Gallrein against Rep.

Thomas Massie, who has opposed the president on the Iran conflict and tariffs. In Louisiana, Trump is supporting Rep. Julia Letlow against Sen. Bill Cassidy, who has resisted aspects of the administration's health agenda.

European Allies Brace for Further U.S.

allies in Europe expect President Trump to withdraw additional American forces from the continent. The anticipation follows Trump's recent decision to pull 5,000 troops from Germany and his public criticism of Italy and Spain. " Italy had refused to let U.S. aircraft use the Sigonella air base in Sicily without prior authorization, while Spain had closed its airspace to American warplanes conducting strikes on Iran.

Rubio described himself as "a strong supporter of NATO throughout my career" and said the alliance provides the United States with logistical advantages for projecting power. He added that some NATO members' restrictions on base access had created unnecessary dangers and that the issue needed examination.

The discussions also touched on Iran, the situation in Lebanon where Italian troops are deployed, and Iran's claims over the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio said every country must decide whether to normalize a single nation asserting control over an international waterway.

and Internal Party Tension

Trump has refrained from endorsing in a handful of high-profile primaries, most notably the expensive and bitter Texas Senate runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton. The contest has turned personal, with Cornyn's campaign airing an advertisement comparing Paxton's ethics to those of a strip club owner over an extramarital affair.

Some MAGA supporters have criticized Trump's decisions to back candidates they view as insufficiently aligned with the movement. " An NBC News poll conducted in March found Trump maintained a 100 percent approval rating among self-identified MAGA Republicans.

Political observers inside the party say the Indiana results reinforce the breadth of what the president considers disqualifying behavior from fellow Republicans. Chris Winkelman, president of the conservative Congressional Leadership Fund, said the president and his political team "deserve much more credit than they get for shaping this battlefield" by allowing candidates in tough races to focus on defeating Democrats.

“The president and his political team deserve much more credit than they get for shaping this battlefield. Their early engagement allows our candidates in the toughest fights to focus on what matters: beating Democrats.”

Trump decided shortly after taking office in 2025 that he wanted to play an active role in primaries, particularly by endorsing vulnerable incumbents early to deter challenges. The approach carries the trade-off of reducing his leverage over lawmakers on upcoming legislation.

In one earlier case, Trump pressed Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga to abandon a Senate primary against former Rep. Mike Rogers and seek reelection to the House instead. Huizenga complied, though the decision left him unhappy.