Trump Reportedly Called Don Blankenship, Hasn’t Called Winner of West Virginia Senate Primary
President Donald Trump got on the blower Wednesday and gave a call to a candidate in the West Virginia GOP Senate primary to offer congrats. But he didn’t call the winner of the race, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. He called Don Blankenship.
Politico reported that Trump called Blankenship — a criminal coal baron whose campaign was marked by bizarre attacks on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — the day after Blankenship conceded the race.
The call came after the president urged West Virginians to vote against Blankenship in the Republican primary. Despite faring well in the polls, Blankenship failed to secure the nomination, coming a distant third place behind Morrisey and WV Rep. Evan Jenkins. According to Politico, Trump called Jenkins but as of Wednesday night had yet to reach out to Morrisey.
In an open letter to Trump, Blankenship blamed the president for his loss.
“You, yourself, also spread fake news against me,” he wrote. “Your interference in the West Virginia election displayed a lack of understanding of the likely outcome of the upcoming general election.”
Per Politico, Trump’s motives for calling Blankenship were pragmatic:
Trump’s calls on Wednesday, several Republicans said, were partly aimed at healing the wounds following a deeply divisive primary. Blankenship has yet to endorse Morrisey, who aggressively attacked him during the final days of the race.
Some in the party are concerned that the deep-pocketed Blankenship, who spent more than $2.5 million of his own funds in the primary, could wage an effort to damage Morrisey in the general election.
[image via screengrab]
—
