You didn’t really expect Donald Trump to take this seriously, did you?
The disgraced former president teased early Monday that he would make his long-awaited primary endorsement for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Roy Blunt that day. He already torched Rep. Vicky Hartzler last month, writing on his Truth Social platform that voters “can forget about” her chances, while egregiously claiming she’d asked for his nod multiple times. That left, among others, current Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Eric Greitens, who resigned as Missouri governor in humiliation amid accusations of campaign finance offenses and sexual assault.
That afternoon, Trump went into full stand-up comic mode: “I am therefore proud to announce that ERIC has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” he finally declared. So in other words, he’s decided to hedge his bets on the two front-runners in the race.
His longtime former consigliere Michael Cohen has often told us one of Trump’s biggest fears is being perceived as a loser. By not specifically blessing either candidate, he’ll surely say after Tuesday’s primary that he always knew Greitens or Schmitt was the real winner all along. Or he won’t. Not that it matters to his most ardent fans — shooting someone on Fifth Avenue and all that.
Each Eric immediately wallowed in Trump’s glory, claiming the non-endorsement as his own.
“I’m honored to receive President Trump’s endorsement,” tweeted Greitens.
“It is truly an honor to have President Trump’s endorsement in the Senate race,” said a statement from Schmitt.
Coming about 12 hours before the polls open, it’s unlikely Trump’s stunt will have any effect on Tuesday’s outcome. It’s hard to imagine a message so confusing and vague would sway any voter from one Eric to the other. And it’s not as if there’s a hair’s breadth between the two candidates’ positions, which are pure Fox News red meat: Both have made showy visits to the U.S.-Mexico border. Both applauded the Supreme Court giving Missouri the go-ahead to severely curtail women’s reproductive rights by overturning Roe v. Wade. More guns. No “cancel culture.” Conservatives good, liberals bad.
But in the end, Trump’s little trick isn’t about Eric Greitens at all, or Eric Schmitt, or certainly not Missouri voters.
It’s nothing but a flex of raw political power — a typical look-at-me moment from the showman who took over the Republican Party by jettisoning serious policy in favor of talk radio theatrics. Regardless of which Eric wins on Election Day, conservative voters who want serious-minded public servants calling the shots will still be the losers.
