Donald Trump Jr. Gains Popularity Among Republican Candidates

Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, has become the go–to person for Republican Senate candidates looking for some sort of Trump endorsement.

If President Donald Trump himself is off the table, hosting an event or fundraiser with Trump Jr. is becoming a favorite way for Republicans to say they’ve got Trump support. A source told Politico that Trump Jr. has logged half a dozen rallies and fundraisers this spring and is planning to attend more. He is reportedly using these trips to establish himself as a political entity outside of his father.

Some speculate that Trump Jr. will have political endeavors of his own in the future, but allies say he is content to serve as a liaison to his father’s base as the 2020 election nears and to create a non-candidate role in Republican politics.

“I think he’s becoming an independent force,” Patrick Morrisey, a West Virginia attorney general who is challenging Sen. Joe Manchin, told Politico. “This is a strong speaker, a wonderful human being [and] as people come to know him, they’re going to say, ‘This guy is pretty impressive in his own right.’”

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Trump Jr. campaigned with Morrisey earlier this month and will be hosting a New York City fundraiser for him. Manchin was so excited with this that he asked the entire Trump family to move to West Virginia, or at least buy vacation homes in the state.

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Though Trump Jr. plans to focus on fundraising in the summer, the source said that he plans to do more public campaign events in the fall. He will be attending a Long Island event for Rep. Lee Zeldin that is expected to have 500 attendees. Ticket prices will range from $300 for one person to $5,000 for a sponsorship.