President Trump gives his endorsement to Hogan in Maryland’s Senate battle

Former President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind Republican Larry Hogan as he vies for a seat in the U.S. Senate representing Maryland.

“I’d like to see him win,” Trump stated on Fox News during a visit to Washington, D.C. “I think he has a good chance to win. I would like to see him win.

“And we’ve got to take the majority. We have to straighten out our country … I know other people made some strong statements, but I can just say from my standpoint, I’m about the party and I’m about the country. And I would like to see him win.”

Hogan, a popular governor, aims to become the first Republican in over 40 years to secure a Senate seat in Maryland, a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2-1 ratio statewide.

He is running to succeed retiring Sen. Ben Cardin and is up against Democratic nominee Angela Alsobrooks.

In a previous month, Hogan drew criticism from Trump’s campaign when he emphasized the importance of “respecting the verdict and the legal process” before Trump’s conviction by a Manhattan jury on 34 felony counts.

“At this dangerously divided moment in our history, all leaders — regardless of party — must not pour fuel on the fire with more toxic partisanship,” Hogan posted on X before the verdict was announced. “We must reaffirm what has made this nation great: the rule of law.”

In the last two presidential elections, Hogan admitted to not voting for Trump, the party nominee. In 2016, he wrote in the name of his father, former U.S. Rep. Larry Hogan Sr., and in 2020, he chose the late President Ronald Reagan.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.