IT'S OFFICIAL: Donald Trump endorses J.D. Vance for the U.S. Senate in Ohio

IT’S OFFICIAL: Former President Donald Trump endorsed J.D. Vance for the U.S. Senate in Ohio in a statement released Friday night:

45: It is time for the entire MAGA movement, the greatest in the history of our Country, to unite behind J.D.’s campaign … he will put America First. In other words, J.D. Vance has my Complete and Total Endorsement. He will not let you down. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/zGFuAbLxnx

— Taylor Budowich (@TayFromCA) April 15, 2022

Journos are going with the Friday night news dump spin, of course:

Trump officially drops the Vance endorsement on 5pm on a Friday

— Sam Stein (@samstein) April 15, 2022

And they’re highlighting this line from the endorsement where the former president noted that Vance, in the past, was quite the critic:

"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"

— Sam Stein (@samstein) April 15, 2022

Here are some of those past statements that Trump has gotten over, apparently:

Trump on endorsing J.D. Vance:

"Like some others, J.D. Vance may have said some not so great things about me …"

What Vance said in 2016:
-"Trump is cultural heroin"
-Trump's policies "range from immoral to absurd"
-"Mr. Trump is unfit for our nation’s highest office"

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) April 15, 2022

But, as Brit Hume notes, Vance “has been all-in for Trump for months”:

"In the past" is right. Vance has been all-in for Trump for months. https://t.co/fPeMZxMCh2

— Brit Hume (@brithume) April 15, 2022

Vance responded to the endorsement, tweeting “I’m incredibly honored to have President Trump’s support. He was an incredible fighter for hard working Americans in the White House, he will be again, and I’ll fight for the America First Agenda in the Senate”:

I’ve gotten to know @JDVance1 personally over the past year & I'm convinced that he's 100% America First.

The leftwing media, the Dems & the weak RINOs all HATE him because they know he stands with #MAGA.

He's the real deal folks, that's why my dad & I are both supporting him! https://t.co/mh1baSgFrU

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 15, 2022

Vance has Richard Grenell’s backing, too: “I’m in. Let’s go @JDvance1”:

I’m in. Let’s go @JDVance1 https://t.co/WiDhvDxc6f

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) April 15, 2022

The primary is in about two weeks:

Trump swooped in late for what could be a life preserver in OH race just two weeks away, after a reported full-court press from some Trump allies to stop the endorsement. It was an uncharacteristically risky endorsement, But, less surprising than the Dr. Oz endorsement. https://t.co/VK7Wmo8IdL

— Fred Lucas (@FredLucasWH) April 15, 2022

Potential Vance challenger, Dem Rep. Tim Ryan, is already on the attack calling Vance a “silicon Valley elitist and a phony, and we’ll beat him come November”:

It's official. Donald Trump just called me "dangerous" to Republicans in a "tough race" and threw his support behind JD Vance.

Vance is a Silicon Valley elitist and a phony, and we'll beat him come November.

— Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) April 15, 2022

We. Shall. See:

We're beating JD Vance in the polls by one point. But we're expecting this endorsement to bring a new wave of outside money and attacks.

We can win this race and flip Ohio blue, but only if we have the resources to fight back. Rush a donation now: https://t.co/qzkuU333fM

— Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) April 15, 2022

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