The U.S. Senate seat currently held by progressive Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) presents a critical flipping opportunity for Republicans in 2024 and former President Donald Trump just weighed in with his choice for who should be the GOP nominee to challenge Brown for that Ohio seat.
On Tuesday, Trump issued his endorsement for Republican businessman Bernie Moreno to be that nominee and called upon all Ohio Republicans to come together in his support, according to the Washington Examiner.
The Trump-aligned Moreno previously ran for an Ohio Senate seat in 2022 but dropped out of the race and supported the successful campaign of fellow Trump acolyte Sen. J.D. Vance after the right-leaning populist received an endorsement in that election cycle from the former president.
In a post to Truth Social on Tuesday, former President Trump wrote, "Bernie Moreno, a highly respected businessman from the GREAT State of Ohio, is exactly the type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate. Bernie will always stand up to the Fascist 'nut jobs' and the spineless RINOS in order to fight the corrupt Deep State that is destroying our Country."
"Remember, we need a successful political outsider like Bernie to defeat Liberal career politician, Sherrod Brown, who has so poorly represented Ohio, and pretends that he’s all for the Policies of your Favorite President, Donald J. Trump, but then gets to the Senate and votes 100% for the horrendous Policies of Crooked Joe Biden, the worst President in the History of our Country," he continued.
"Don’t be fooled by Sherrod Brown," Trump added. "He is a Radical Left Liberal who will always let you down. He does not stand for Ohio Values, and never will. Bernie Moreno, on the other hand, will ALWAYS put America First."
A more formal statement of endorsement was also released by Trump's Save America PAC that reiterated the same thing the former president posted to social media but also included a call for unity among Ohio Republicans who are currently looking at a three-way primary race to be the GOP nominee to take on Sen. Brown and further praised Moreno as the right man for the job.
"It’s time for the entire Republican Party to UNITE around Bernie’s campaign for Senate, so that we can have a BIG victory in what will be the most important Election in American History," the PAC's statement said.
"Bernie is the Father of wonderful Emily, the wife of outstanding young Ohio Congressman, Max Miller," the statement added. "Bernie is Strong on the Border, Crime, Cutting Taxes, Election Integrity, the Military / Vets, and will always protect our under siege 2nd Amendment. Bernie Moreno will be an outstanding United States Senator, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement -- He will never let you down!"
The Examiner reported that former President Trump had previously sung Moreno's praises but had held off until now to issue his endorsement in the GOP's primary race in Ohio in which the outside businessman is squaring off against Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and State Sen. Matt Dolan, neither of whom have aligned themselves with Trump and his America First MAGA agenda.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has likewise refrained from endorsing any of the three candidates, largely due to the belief that all of them are capable of defeating Sen. Brown in the general election, but didn't seem to object to Trump's decision to endorse Moreno.
NRSC spokesman Mike Berg said in a statement, "President Trump’s endorsement is the most powerful endorsement in politics, so this will certainly be a huge benefit to Bernie Moreno."
According to the Cook Political Report, of the 34 Senate seats up for election in 2024, just three of them are ranked as a "toss up" that either side could win, and that number included Sen. Brown's Ohio seat along with the seats held in Montana and Arizona by Democrat Jon Tester and Dem-aligned Independent Kysten Sinema, respectively.
Similarly, CNN reported in October on the 10 Senate seats most likely to flipped and Ohio was ranked third on that list due to the expected trouble that the progressive leftist Brown will face in seeking re-election in a state that has been trending bright red over the past several election cycles and was won easily by former President Trump in 2016 and 2020.
