Trump’s endorsement is starting to show its limits ( www.politico.com )
Tuesday was a rough primary night for Donald Trump — and he wasn’t even on the ballot.
The former president endorsed a replacement for Sen. Mitt Romney, but Utah voters picked a Trump skeptic instead. He backed his spiritual adviser for an open South Carolina House seat only to watch him narrowly lose in a runoff. Trump threw his support to the Colorado GOP chair for a House district; he was blown out by more than 30 points.
On the heels of two other recent flops and one high-profile near-miss in Virginia that could have been embarrassing, the string of losses mars a nearly unblemished record this cycle.
The Trump endorsement is still clearly powerful — and highly coveted by Republicans — and Tuesday’s losses are notable because they are so rare. Trump’s backing is priceless political currency, so it’s jarring when its recipients fall short, indicating there is a limit to his sway and political operation: Trump’s endorsement is powerful, but it’s not all-powerful.
He can’t single-handedly defeat heavy outside spending against his chosen candidates, as the results indicate. And he can’t save them from personal controversies that turn voters off.