The Republican Senate primary in Nevada is escalating into a bitter contest, causing a rift among those within the sphere of former President Donald Trump. The race against incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is anticipated to be one of the nation’s fiercest, and it stands out as one of the few battles where Trump and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) are not publicly in sync.
Sen. Steve Daines, the NRSC chairman, has enlisted Sam Brown, a retired Army captain who sustained severe burns from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, to run in the November election. Brown recently sought Trump’s endorsement during a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
However, Brown’s candidacy has sparked controversy among Trump’s most ardent supporters, who are privately urging the former president to endorse Dr. Jeffrey Gunter, his former ambassador to Iceland. Trump’s decision on whether to endorse a candidate in this race remains uncertain.
Adding to the mix is former state Assemblyman Jim Marchant, a promoter of discredited conspiracy theories about election fraud, who is also vying for the nomination. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz held a rally for Gunter in Nevada last weekend, while far-right activists and Mar-a-Lago regulars Laura Loomer and Roger Stone have publicly criticized Brown for his connections to mainstream Republicans.
Despite campaigning for Trump in 2020, Brown seemed to distance himself from the former president later, declining to confirm in an August interview with Punchbowl News whether he would be comfortable sharing the GOP ticket with Trump in Nevada. He did, however, endorse Trump before the Iowa caucuses. In a further indication of support from mainstream Republicans, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell attended a fundraiser for Brown last year.
According to sources, Brown’s critics have relayed all this information to Trump in an attempt to prevent any potential endorsement. Negative stories about Gunter have also been passed on to the former president, including reports of his previous registration as a Democrat in California and a 2021 State Department inspector general report that cast a negative light on his ambassadorship.
Two sources familiar with the matter have revealed that national Republicans advised Gunter against entering the Senate primary. However, sources close to both Gunter and Brown maintain that Trump’s top campaign officials are on their side and hold out hope for a potential endorsement from the former president.