Trump endorsement stuns supporters

Former President Donald Trump has just made an endorsement that has surprised his supporters. 

This is because Trump has chosen to endorse someone whom he has previously refused to endorse.

The endorsement, according to Fox News, has gone to Dave McCormick, a Pennsylvania Republican who is running for one of the state's U.S. Senate seats.

Currently, Pennsylvania's two U.S. Senators are Boby Casey Jr. and John Fetterman, who are both Democrats. McCormick is eyeing Casey's seat.

"I am officially . . ."

Trump announced his endorsement of McCormick on Saturday, at a campaign event that he held in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

There, Trump said, "I am officially giving my endorsement to David McCormick tonight. He wants to run a good ship. He’s a smart guy who was a very successful guy. He’s given up a lot to do this. And I’ll tell you what, he’s the nominee of the Republican Party."

McCormick will indeed be the nominee of the Republican Party for this U.S. Senate race because he is running unopposed. So, he will come out on top in the Republican primary that will take place on April 23.

The importance of this particular race cannot be understated. The Democrats currently have a narrow majority in the Senate, and it was Fetterman's victory that helped to give them this majority.

A McCormick defeat of Casey in the upcoming election could help Republicans to regain the upper chamber.

Here's why Trump's endorsement has caught many off guard:

The Washington Post explains the answer, and it is because Trump actually opposed McCormick in 2022.

"McCormick also ran in 2022 to replace retiring Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.). In that GOP primary, however, Trump endorsed celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, who lost to Democratic Sen. John Fetterman," the Post reports.

It adds, "During the 2022 race, Trump blasted McCormick, calling him 'the candidate of special interests and globalists and the Washington establishment.' According to McCormick, Trump refused to endorse him when he wouldn’t say the 2020 election was stolen."

The question is whether Trump now suddenly likes McCormick or whether Trump just understands the importance of winning Casey's Senate seat.

At the moment, it is not clear what McCormick's chances are of beating Casey. The Democrat is currently serving his third term in the Senate, and each time that he was elected he won by a comfortable margin. Trump is clearly hoping that his endorsement of McCormick will help to break Casey's winning streak.