Donald Trump's endorsement of controversial lawmaker Doug Mastriano to be the Republicans Party's nominee to be the next governor of Pennsylvania got off to a rough start just moments after he made his choice known through his spokesperson on Twitter.
Sitting in on a CNN panel as it received the breaking news, former Trump adviser David Urban said, on the one hand, the endorsement makes sense while bluntly adding that he doesn't see any way Mastrianao can win in November.
Speaking with CNN host Michael Smerconish, Urban immediately poured cold water all over Mastriano's bid for the governor's office.
"I wasn't shocked by the president's endorsement of Doug Mastriano," Urban, who ran Trump's campaign in Pennsylvania in 2016, admitted. "I thought it was coming, I was just surprised that it came so late. I think this is about the president's win/loss record. The president likes to tout how his record has lots and lots of victories, people he supported. He's concerned about Dr. [Mehmet] Oz losing on Tuesday. He wanted a winner, it's clear by all the polling that Doug Mastriano is going to win, so I think the president's endorsement here is looking to bolster his record."
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"Can Mastriano win a general in Pennsylvania?" the CNN host pressed.
"No, no, I don't think he can," Urban quickly replied. "I think he's -- Michael, you and I go way back and we've been doing this stuff for a long time. You know, Pennsylvania is a very long history of electing moderates, right? Whether it's Dick Thornberg or Tom Ridge, Arlen Specter -- it's a very purple state, as you said, originally."
"I think Mastriano is too hot, too conservative, too far out, too far right for the Pennsylvania general electorate," he predicted. "I think [Democrat] Josh Shapiro will be the victor in that race. And I think that's why you saw the Wall Street Journal and many mainstream Republicans wringing their hands about Doug Mastriano at the top of the ticket. They fear he'll be a big drag on the ticket and will weigh down the race."
Watch the segment below or at this link.
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