Former president Donald Trump endorses Scott Jensen for governor
After endorsing Republican Kim Crockett in her bid to become Minnesota's secretary of state, former President Donald Trump issued a late-night endorsement of Scott Jensen for Minnesota governor against the DFL's Tim Walz.
In a post on his social platform Truth Social, Trump said Minnesota "will finally have the chance to have a great governor," adding that Jensen will "bring Minnesota back from the brink," and that he is "strong on both fighting Crime and delivering Solid and Sensible Education."
In a statement following Trump's comments, Jensen and running mate Matt Birk said "we have not actively sought the endorsement of political leaders" but that "we are grateful for those who have recognized our ability to lead and Heal Minnesota."
They then added that "ultimately, we only care about one endorsement: the support of Minnesota voters."
Previous analysis of endorsements from Trump ahead of the 2022 mid-terms, such as this one by NPR, found that the former president has typically endorsed challengers or incumbents who backed his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which resulted in the riots seen at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
While Jensen hasn't outright declared the 2020 elections to be fraudulent, he has consistently dodged questions regarding the validity of the vote two years ago.
When asked in March whether the 2020 election was "stolen" from Trump, he responded: "I have no way of knowing that." In a recent WCCO voter guide, it was asked if he believed President Biden was "legitimately elected," and would only respond: "Joe Biden is our president."
Jensen has called for Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon to serve jail time for changes made to make it easier for people to vote by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic, and promoted the election fraud conspiracy movie "2000 Mules."
There has been no evidence found in any state of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 elections.
The DFL chairman Ken Martin responded to Trump's endorsement by saying: "Scott Jensen has embraced the Big Lie, even calling for throwing our Secretary of State in jail. Now, Donald Trump has rewarded him with an endorsement."
