WASHINGTON DC (Agencies): Former President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was trying to persuade former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) to enter Wisconsin’s 2022 gubernatorial race.
“Working hard to get very popular and capable Former Congressman Sean Duffy of Wisconsin to run for Governor. He would be fantastic!” Trump said in a statement issued through his Save America PAC.
Duffy, 50, served four terms in the House before deciding to resign in 2019 and not run for reelection to a fifth term in 2020.
While in Congress, he was a frequent presence on cable news. His wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, is also a well-known conservative voice on cable who is a contributor to Fox News. Both initially made national names on MTV’s “Real World.”
Both have spoken up for Trump in the past, and Trump was ebullient in singing their praises in his missive to supporters and the media.
“A champion athlete, Sean loves the people of Wisconsin, and would be virtually unbeatable. His wife, Rachel, is likewise an incredible person. They are both doing very well, so this would be a big sacrifice, but hopefully it will be a sacrifice that will be made for the Great State of Wisconsin and its wonderful, hardworking people. Run Sean, Run! (A little spin-off on the great Herschel Walker),” Trump added, referring to the former football star that he endorsed early last month for Georgia’s Senate race.
When Duffy resigned, he explained that he was stepping down after learning that his ninth child had a heart condition.
Previously, he served for eight years as a district attorney, and he also won the speed-climbing competition in the Lumberjack World Championships twice, according to CNN.
Among the Republicans already running in the governor’s race are former W-isconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who announced her bid last month. She had served as state lieutenant governor under former Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) from 2011-2019.
If Duffy enters the race, Trump’s endorsement for Duffy could be an important boost given that the Evers narrowly won the 2018 gubernatorial race by a margin of one point.
As of early October, Cook Political Reports rated the Wisconsin gubernatorial race as “lean Democrat.”
On Friday, Former President Donald Trump blasted the Department of Justice for giving fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe back his pension and benefits despite being let go by then Attorney General Jeff Sessions hours before McCabe’s scheduled 2018 retirement.
”Isn’t it terrible that all of Andrew McCabe’s benefits, pensions, salary, etc., were just fully reinstated by the Justice Department? This is yet another mockery to our Country,” Trump said in a statement Friday. ”Among other things, McCabe’s wife received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Hillary Clinton and the Democrats while Crooked Hillary was under investigation, which was quickly dropped, of course.”
According to The Washington Post, McCabe and the DOJ settled his lawsuit claiming that his dismissal in March 2018 was politically motivated because he would not give his allegiance to Trump while supervising the bureau’s investigation into Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 election.
McCabe, who was under investigation himself for a leak at the bureau at the time, will get his full pension and some $200,000 in missed payments, according to the story.
”Politics should never play a role in the fair administration of justice and civil service personnel decisions,” McCabe said in a statement through the Arnold & Porter law firm, which posted the settlement. ” … I hope that this result encourages the men and women of the FBI to continue to protect the American people by standing up for the truth and doing their jobs without fear of political retaliation.”
