CNN
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who was the big winner in Texas Primary on Tuesday night?
Donald Trump! At least, that is, according to Donald Trump.
“Big night in Texas! All 33 candidates backed by Trump have either won their primary election or are leading the way in terms of runoff. He said Tuesday night,
“All 33 Trump-backed candidates won, or are running significantly ahead, in Texas last night,” he said on Wednesday, “Big Night! How Will Fake News Make It Worse?”
“Arizona Governor Doug Ducey saw the big primary numbers in Texas, where the ‘Trump endorsement’ lost 33 wins and 0, and he said, knowing I would never support him, ‘No thanks, I’m running for Senate. I’m not going! ,'” Trump said on Thursday, “Smart move, Doug—there’s no room for RINOs. I guess that means we can call 34 and 0 this week!” (And, yes, he wrote “losers,” not “losses.”)
(Sidebar: Ducey’s decision not to run is a big blow to republicans,
man! Trump really dominated Tuesday, didn’t he?
Here’s the thing: Like many things in Trump’s world, there’s less here than meets the eye. very less.
So, yes, Trump deserves at least some credit for choosing the right horse in the election. House Republican Primary Such as the 15th district (where Monica de la Cruz won outright) and the 38th district (where Wesley Hunt did the same). Those races were, at least in theory, somewhat contested to hold up – although both Trump-backed candidates easily won.
but that was a very small percentage of him overall approval Going to Texas Elementary. And when you dig into large quantities of them, a pattern emerges.
Trump endorses Rep. Lance Gooden in the 5th District. Gooden was elected unopposed to the Republican nomination.
Trump endorsed Representative Mike McCall in the 10th District. McCall was elected unopposed to the Republican nomination.
Trump in 13th District Rep. Supported Ronnie Jackson. Jackson was elected unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Trump in the 19th District Rep. Supported Jody Arrington. Arrington was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Trump endorsed Representative Roger Williams in the 25th District. Williams was elected unopposed for the Republican nomination.
Trump endorsed Representative Brian Babin in the 36th District. Babin was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
None of these members could have lost in the primary. So supporting them – and then claiming victory for doing so – is like saying: “Boom, I predicted the sun would rise in the east today.” Or take credit for breathing.
Several other Trump-backed incumbents won walkovers against marginal opponents. Rep. Randy Weber won with 89% of the vote. Rep. Troy Nehls won with 87%. Rep. Beth Van Duyne won with 85%. None of them had much of a chance to lose, whether Trump supported them or not.
It’s also worth noting that Trump supported some candidates in Texas, such as state Attorney General Ken Paxton. Forced in primary runoff elections in May.
This is all, of course, completely Trumpian. It’s not about the reality of something, it’s about perception. He yells “33-0” and most people don’t do any work to see what it really means. But if you dig even a little below the surface, you see how hollow this claim is.