Just moments after bragging about his high scores on a dementia test and mocking President Joe Biden's stutter, former President Donald Trump accidentally endorsed the wrong Ohio candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Speaking to the crowd to promote Charles Herbster, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by eight women, Trump also named other candidates he hopes to elevate to the U.S. Capitol.
"You know, in Texas, on endorsements, I was 33 and 0, and if I lost one race they'd say, 'Trump was humiliated,'" said Trump. "That's what they're waiting for one race. You know we've endorsed Dr. Oz. We've endorsed JP? JD Mandel."
The person Trump said that he endorsed was JD Vance, the author of Hillbilly Elegy, and a close friend of Donald Trump Jr. In fact, Trump Jr has spent the past several weeks traveling with the candidate in an effort to get him elected. Vance was a strong opponent of Trump in 2016 and has only come around to support him in the past few years.
"Like some others, J.D. Vance may have said some not-so-great things about me in the past, but he gets it now, and I have seen that in spades," Trump said in his statement on April 15. "He is our best chance for victory in what could be a very tough race."
Josh Mandel has been a far-right candidate that desperately courted Trump's support ahead of the endorsement. Several of Trump's former staffers, including Hope Hicks, are working for Mandel and allies like Michael Flynn have appeared around the state with him.
“I'm confident we're going to win this primary on May 3. I'm looking forward to working with President Trump to beat the Democrats in November. There is no candidate in this race more America First than me,” Mandel said, speaking to reporter Chelsea Sick in a Dayton 24/7 interview.
Digital activist Matt Ortega responded by launching the campaign website for JP Mandel:
J.P. Mandell for Senate https://jpmandell.com\u00a0pic.twitter.com/xLsMrAc3PV— Matt Ortega (@Matt Ortega) 1651450438
See the moment in the video below or at this link.
Trump accidentally endorses Josh Mandelyoutu.be
His mind is shot. Can't imagine what Stormy did to him. Must have been really horrible. Sad!https://twitter.com/vaughnhillyard/status/1520903031025545216\u00a0\u2026— George Conway\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@George Conway\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1651448119
This is devastating for @JDVance1https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1520900796946079744\u00a0\u2026— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1651447256
Josh Vance is going to be devastatedhttps://twitter.com/acyn/status/1520900796946079744\u00a0\u2026— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch.com) 1651447027
Mandel spent the whole cycle gunning for Trump's endorsement. Didn't get it, then Trump's son started campaigning against him. \n\nNow with two days before Election Day, Trump confuses the endorsed candidate's name with his.\n\nThis primary has really been somethinghttps://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1520900796946079744\u00a0\u2026— Tyler Buchanan (@Tyler Buchanan) 1651447059
Quick. Someone give him the dementia test again.https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1520900796946079744\u00a0\u2026— S.V. D\u00e1te (@S.V. D\u00e1te) 1651446571
Dude's resorted to just mashing all of the Republican candidates together now so that he can take credit when one of them ultimately wins.https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1520900796946079744\u00a0\u2026— Brian Tyler Cohen (@Brian Tyler Cohen) 1651446402
Who the hell is JD Mandel?https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1520900796946079744\u00a0\u2026— Parker Molloy (@Parker Molloy) 1651446524
Dementia J. Trump 1) calls @JDVance1 \u201cJP\u201d 2) He then calls him \u201cJD Mandell\u201d \n\nHis brain is worse than swiss cheese.https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1520900796946079744\u00a0\u2026— Spiro Agnew\u2019s Ghost (@Spiro Agnew\u2019s Ghost) 1651446189
