Trump lands Pennsylvania endorsements post indictmentPolitico, Jun 23, 2023
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign will announce on Friday that he’s won the endorsements of more than half of Pennsylvania’s House GOP delegation, an illustration of the widespread support he’s maintained among congressional Republicans even after his federal indictment.
The former president’s Pennsylvania backing — from Reps. Mike Kelly, Dan Meuser, Scott Perry, Guy Reschenthaler and John Joyce — further cements his lead in congressional endorsements over his Republican rivals. As of Thursday evening, Trump had received the backing of 56 of the 63 House Republicans who had so far endorsed a candidate, according to FiveThirtyEight, which is tracking congressional endorsements. Trump’s closest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has the support of five House Republicans.
The indictment over Trump’s handling of classified documents has done little to dissuade congressional Republicans from backing the former president. Earlier this month, a day after the charges were unsealed, Trump traveled to Georgia, where he unveiled the endorsements of a pair of House Republicans from the state, Andrew Clyde and Mike Collins. Later that day, the former president went to North Carolina, where he received the backing of Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), who as chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee is a member of party leadership.
Congressional endorsements are widely sought among those seeking the presidency: House members have networks of donors, activists and other political players who can lend their support to a candidate.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/23/trump-pennsylvania-post-indictment-00103350
