Kellyanne Conway signs on with Ohio Senate candidate as primary descends into Trump loyalty contest

On Thursday, POLITICO reported that Donald Trump's former campaign manager and White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has signed on with the campaign of Bernie Moreno, a Republican hopeful in the Ohio Senate race.

"Conway, who managed Trump's successful 2016 presidential bid, is part of a broader campaign organization that Moreno announced Thursday," reported Alex Isenstadt. "In a statement, she called Moreno 'a conservative, a political outsider, and a successful businessman just like President Donald J. Trump.'"

This comes as Conway, a controversial White House official who became infamous for her defenses of "alternative facts" and violations of ethics rules, has sought a media tour to rehabilitate her image.

"Moreno is running in a crowded Republican primary in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman," continued the report. "The leading contenders, including former state Treasurer Josh Mandel and former state party chairwoman Jane Timken, have been aggressively attaching themselves to Trump."

"Moreno, a technology executive and luxury car dealer who donated to the former president's reelection effort, recently launched his campaign with a video stressing the need to 'protect Trump's victories,'" the report added. "He has highlighted his support from several Trump administration officials, including former acting director of national intelligence Ric Grenell and former U.S. ambassadors Jamie McCourt and Ed McMullen."

Trump has not yet made an endorsement in the race, which takes place in a traditionally conservative-leaning swing state he won twice with comfortable margins. However he has taken a close interest; last month, he summoned the four major candidates, including Moreno, for a vetting session at his Mar-a-Lago country club that observers likened to an episode of his old NBC reality show "The Apprentice."