In a significant development, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has publicly endorsed former President Donald Trump for his prospective 2024 presidential campaign. This announcement, made on Tuesday, adds to the growing list of Republican leadership rallying behind Trump’s potential return to the White House.
Scalise’s endorsement comes just shy of two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, marking the commencement of voting in the Republican presidential primary. With this move, almost all of the House GOP leadership, barring House majority whip Tom Emmer, have now pledged their support to Trump.
“I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2024, and I look forward to working with President Trump and a Republican House and Senate to fight for those families who are struggling under the weight of Biden’s failed policies,” Scalise announced on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Trump expressed his gratitude for the endorsement on his social media platform, Truth Social, calling it a “great honor”. He further pledged not to disappoint Scalise or the country, writing, “I will not let you, or our Country, down!”
Despite facing multiple criminal trials and a total of 91 charges across four separate cases, Trump continues to dominate the Republican presidential primary field. According to the latest CNN Poll of Polls, he leads by approximately 40 percentage points nationwide, outpacing his closest competitors, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Trump, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been balancing his campaign activities in early voting states with his legal responsibilities as a defendant.