Republican lawmakers across the nation, including those in Washington, are rushing to pledge their allegiance to former President Donald Trump, spurred by a subtle message from his campaign. This surge in endorsements from Congress members and governors, including the entire House GOP leadership and the third-ranking Senate Republican, is a direct response to Trump’s intensified efforts to secure as many endorsements as possible before the Iowa caucuses.
According to four sources familiar with the matter, Trump’s advisers have discreetly informed some Republicans that they are monitoring who endorses Trump before and after the Iowa caucuses. This message has reverberated through the US Capitol and governors’ mansions nationwide, prompting some GOP holdouts to expedite their endorsement timelines.
However, not all Republicans are falling in line. GOP Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, who has endorsed Nikki Haley’s presidential bid, has resisted pressure to switch his endorsement to Trump. Despite this, Trump’s team remains confident in their strategy, viewing endorsements as a sign of loyalty and the upcoming caucuses as a critical milestone.
Trump’s team is also capitalizing on the increased media attention on Iowa in the lead-up to the caucuses, viewing the rollout of more endorsements in the final days as an effective strategy that demonstrates their “organizational aptitude”.
Trump’s campaign expects a decisive victory in the upcoming caucuses, which they believe will set the tone for the rest of the GOP primary season. They are also closely monitoring who supports Trump before his path to the GOP nomination appears inevitable.
Trump himself has been personally reaching out to lawmakers, particularly those he has previously endorsed, encouraging them to support him. The former president also speaks directly with each member prior to their endorsement, adding a personal touch to the campaign’s endorsement strategy.
The Trump campaign has also relied heavily on his Hill surrogates to help them secure additional endorsements. House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, one of Trump’s staunchest allies in Congress, has been actively encouraging House Republicans to support the former president.
Despite the pressure to endorse before Iowa, and with Trump’s nomination looking increasingly likely, House Republican leadership has largely fallen in line. Senate leadership, however, has been slower to endorse Trump.
Trump and his advisers have also been closely monitoring FiveThirtyEight’s endorsement tracker, scrutinizing not only the number of endorsements he is receiving, but also those of his leading rivals. So far, Trump has secured 104 endorsements from House Republicans, 19 from GOP senators, and seven from governors.
Despite the campaign’s success in securing endorsements, some Republicans have expressed concern about the potential repercussions of not supporting Trump. However, even those who have reservations about Trump and aren’t planning to endorse still say they will support him if he becomes the nominee.