Trump Backs DeWine

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Gov. Mike DeWine in his reelection bid after deciding against openly backing him in the primary. In a statement, Trump said DeWine quietly, but professionally and patriotically, goes about doing his job. DeWine fought off three far-right challengers in the GOP primary in May and is a favorite to retain his office in November against Democrat Nan Whaley, who has far less name recognition in a state that hasn’t elected a Democratic governor since 2006. DeWine, who has dismissed Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 election, has been careful to say he’s a supporter of the former president without fully embracing him. The governor’s suggestion in November 2020 that it was time for Trump to acknowledge that Joe Biden had won the White House prompted a response from Trump who said in a tweet that he wondered who would challenge DeWine in the primary.