Trump tries to bail out Doug Mastriano after Mitch McConnell snub

Still permanently suspended from Twitter, Donald Trump took to his Truth Social website on Tuesday evening to push the campaign for governor by Republican Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania.

The former president described Mastriano as a "fantastic guy" who he knows well.

"Doug is a fighter like few others and has been with me right from the beginning. He will never let you down," Trump promised.

Mastriano is facing Josh Shapiro, who made an appearance in a campaign ad from a super PAC linked to GOP Leader Mitch McConnell.

"Well, file this under throwing your Gov candidate under the bus to try to save your Senate candidate: McConnell super PAC touts Dem Shapiro in order to try to bash Dem Fetterman," reportedWashington Post congressional correspondent Paul Kane. "Guess McConnell allies see Mastriano as lost cause."

Also on Tuesday, Mastriano was the subject of a New York Times article titled, "Mastriano's War College Stint, Once a Selling Point, Comes Under Fire."

"Two former professors at the War College in Carlisle, Pa., publicly declared Mr. Mastriano unfit for public office," the newspaper reported. "A photograph surfaced of Mr. Mastriano posing in a Confederate uniform with other faculty. And Mr. Mastriano’s Ph.D. dissertation has been criticized as deeply flawed, with a former academic adviser saying his doctorate rests 'on very shaky grounds.'"

Tami Davis Biddle, who was chair of the War College’s faculty council, said Mastriano violated his military oath by trying to overturn the 2020 election.

If you’re going to say the 2020 election was won by Trump, that was simply not true," Biddle said. "To lobby for keeping Trump in office when he had lost an election was outrageous.”