Republican Senate candidate and current U.S. Representative Todd Rokita held an event to showcase endorsements from leaders of the 2016 Indiana Trump campaign today (Monday). Indiana Public Broadcasting’s / WFYI’s Drew Daudelin reports it isn’t the first time the support was made public, but the event is emblematic of the primary race’s latest focus.
Todd Rokita sat at a table lined with three “Make America Great Again” hats. Behind him stood a life-sized cardboard cutout of President Donald Trump.
All three Republican candidates align themselves with Trump. But former Indiana Trump Campaign Chairman Rex Early says Rokita’s opponents – Luke Messer and Mike Braun – just want to win the election and haven’t shown support in the past.
Rokita supported the president after the primary, though he originally backed Marco Rubio and once criticized Trump for being “vulgar.” Tony Samuel was vice-chairman of the Indiana Trump campaign, and he says it’s a matter of timing.
“When you continue to criticize the President after the primary, after the nomination was sewn up, then you’re doing it for your own political gain.”
Samuel and Early have endorsed Rokita before. They sent a letter recommending the candidate to voters last year.