Morning After Mar-A-Lago Fundraiser, Missouri’s Eric Schmitt Again Refuses to Back Trump on McConnell

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt speaks during a news conference in St. Louis on Aug
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades
Nick Gilbertson

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R), who is vying to be the Republican nominee in his state’s U.S. Senate race this November, again refused to answer if he would back GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell in a bid for Senate majority leader. The comments came the morning after he hosted a private fundraiser at former President Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate Thursday night.

Schmitt’s fundraiser brought in $1.6 million “for his campaign and aligned super PAC,” Fox News reported. Trump — who has called upon GOP senators to boot McConnell from senate leadership — made an appearance and briefly spoke to guests. The next morning, Schmitt appeared on KCMO’s Pete Mundo Morning Show and, for the third time in less than a month, refused to answer if he would back McConnell as the next majority leader should he win the seat and Republicans take back the Senate.

Schmitt told Mundo:

Yeah, I have answered this now several times. I am exclusively focused on winning the primary and winning the general. I am not going to get too far ahead of myself here, maybe it’s the old superstitious former athlete in me — I don’t think you can call me that anymore, but I am exclusively focused on this race… Get around the state in person, show up, and fight for the people of the state and that’s what I’ve been doing as attorney general. And I’m never ever going to quit on the state, we’re going to keep fighting and I think that’s what people want.

In late February, Schmitt dodged similar variations of the question from both Amanda Head of Real America’s Voice and Fox News Digital, Breitbart News reported.

Conversely, former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who is also vying for the nomination and has consistently remained ahead of Schmitt and the rest of the crowded GOP field in polling, pledged to not support McConnell back in September, the Washington Post reported at the time.

In September, Greitens noted that Trump “proved to the Republican Party that the only way to meaningfully advance conservative policy is through strong, uncompromising leadership,” according to the outlet.

“That’s why as a Republican running for Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat, I am committed to finding new leadership in the Senate when Republicans win back the majority in 2022,” Greitens added.

Greitens doubled down on the promise during an interview with Fox News at CPAC last month.

“We support a strong border. We support election integrity. One of the other reasons why we’re winning is as the only real America First candidate in this race,” Greitens said.

“I’ve also been very clear that when I’m in the Senate, I’m going to vote for new America First leadership,” he continued.

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