Tony Katz:
Yes, it is something that Donald Trump would endorse Julie McGuire for Lieutenant governor in Indiana. You’re making an endorsement for Lieutenant governor. You already endorsed Braun. You’re making an endorsement for Lieutenant governor. OK. This tells us something but telling us something doesn’t change the reality of what the endorsement does. And so, everybody who wants to spin this well, try your best
Source: MANDEL NGAN / Getty
Tony continues:
There’s only one reason Donald Trump is making an endorsement. In the Lieutenant governor’s race, it’s because he was asked to by Mike Braun or the Braun campaign. We all agree about this.
Tony continues:
They then went and asked Micah Beckwith, cause Micah Beckwith has been running for Lieutenant governor and clearly he’s got some level of, of headway, got support amongst Republicans and people I speak to say he had definitely has some support. He might not win, but he definitely has some support. Umm. And and. Beckwith was asked about this and said, “Look, I support President Trump and I’m going to continue to do so, but it really does say something. That they had to go and ask for Trump’s endorsement. I must be doing something right if they’re asking for Trump’s endorsement.” This much is accurate. And it is the proper response. They must really be scared of me if they need Trump’s endorsement. It is the proper response if you are Micah Beckwith. Look at what they have to do to try and blunt me. My gosh, I must really frighten them. Proper, proper response.
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Tony continues:
Once Micah Beckwith comes out and says they must be afraid of me, OK, that’s the proper response. After that, what you are left with if you are a delegate, is are you gonna go with Micah Beckwith or are you going to go with President Trump? Which one? I would make the argument that more people will go with President Trump, and I would also make the argument that at the convention this weekend, even though she is late to the game, the idea of the gubernatorial candidate picking the Lieutenant governor still holds. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with running for Lieutenant governor. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making people fight for things. I think it’s solid. And I will tell you that all this talk about Micah Beckwith as Christian nationalist, you know that the nationalist part is just the scare tactic. The thing that they’re bothered by is Christian, just so we all understand each other. We see what’s going on.
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Tony continues:
Now you can tell me that a Trump endorsement doesn’t matter. And the people of Indiana, these, these Republicans, they’re gonna vote in their best interest and they’re not gonna worry about it. And endorsement. I want to go on record saying I don’t believe that to be true. I am not arguing that Beckwith won’t win. I really don’t know. He’s been running for over a year and has done it well it seems. So, I think to deny that would be odd. And you have somebody coming in who’s been in this race for an hour and a half. But it’s the gubernatorial candidate selection. And so, standards go into play. And so that’s what you’re fighting against. I don’t know how it’s gonna end up this weekend. I do know. That it would be certainly odd. For the Republicans to have an endorsement of the candidate for president and then not follow that through, and to think that it doesn’t have some level of play. Something else? I would think that weird. I would think that odd, but all politics are local. Maybe it doesn’t. You tell me. Do you think the endorsement from President Trump puts Julie McGuire over the top or do you think it has no effect? I think be fascinating if it had no effect. Fascinating if it made people even more entrenched and say “Ohh I gotta buck the system”, because now you’re making the argument that Trump is the system.
Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Tony continues:
I want a Lieutenant governor… who is actually focused on the state, not focused on some, well, really anything else. You wanna tell me that that that Micah Beckwith is gonna be that guy? OK. But you’re telling me Julie McGuire is not going to be that person, and that’s Julie McGuire’s issue. We just witnessed. Eight years of a Lieutenant governor being a rubber stamp for the governor with Suzanne Crouch for Eric Holcomb. We watched it. We watched it during COVID and I think this is what damaged her in the run to be governor. Absolutely damaged her.
Source: WISH-TV / other
Tony sums up:
People don’t want a rubber stamp, but they’re not looking for somebody who decides that they’re in charge and to burn it all down. The burn it all down crowd is the worst crowd. It doesn’t mean anything. You have to be somebody who makes the moves to make it better. You have to engage in strength and vigor and smart policy, and sometimes smart policy involves saying yes. Sometimes you gotta work with the other side of the aisle. That’s the world we live in. I have no idea what the convention is going to do. I won’t be there. But I wish them well.
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