Jeff Gunter, a candidate in Tuesday's Nevada Republican Senate primary who describes himself as a “110 percent Trump supporter,” didn't take kindly to seeing Donald J. Trump endorse one of his primary opponents, Sam Brown, over the weekend.
Trump announced his endorsement of Brown on his social media platform, Truth Social, late Sunday night after Brown's rally in Las Vegas.
In a social media post on Monday, Gunter claimed, without providing evidence or details, that large political checks amounting to bribes to Trump had been sent from “the swamp.”
He suggested the former president had planned to endorse Brown at a rally but refrained under pressure from “fearless MAGA warriors.” Then a “big check” arrived, possibly from the National Republican Senatorial Committee or a political action committee aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, he said, which he claimed prompted Trump to later announce his endorsement.
Asked whether Gunter's campaign could provide evidence that the donations came before Trump endorsed him, Gunter's campaign responded, “Absolutely we can. Stay tuned.” The campaign did not provide any evidence or answer questions about when Gunter would provide it.
“Jeff Gunter has completely lost his mind and is making false and defamatory accusations against the NRSC and President Trump's team,” NRSC spokesman Mike Berg said in a statement.
The Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee aligned with McConnell that Gunter appeared to be referring to in his social media post, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
The Trump campaign pointed to a social media post written to X by Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to Trump, which read, “Proof that @DrJeffGunter didn't get @realDonaldTrump's endorsement. You have a habit of making up lies. President Trump makes his own decisions and this is another example of him making wise choices.”
Tuesday's Nevada Republican primary will determine who will challenge incumbent Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen in one of the most competitive Senate races this year. The crowded field includes Gunter and Brown, an Army veteran who nearly lost his life in Afghanistan, as well as Jim Merchant, an election denier who lost in the 2022 Nevada secretary of state race, and several others.
Gunter served as ambassador to Iceland during the Trump administration, and Trump's endorsement of an opponent came as a blow to him, but Brown was leading in the primary polls and Trump has often jumped into campaigns at the last minute to back front-runners.
