More than anything else, Trump wants his endorsement to be seen as an ironclad guarantee of victory. Given the dynamics of the contest, there’s a real risk that whoever Trump might endorse would end up losing anyway. And for the ex-president, that risk may be too much: Backing the wrong horse in such a high-profile race could make his brand look that much weaker and threaten his hold on the GOP ahead of a likely 2024 presidential run.
Some operatives close to the race privately believe that Trump might give his seal of approval to more than one candidate, as a way of hedging his bets and placating various Trumpworld factions.
The way that the race has carved up Trumpland into rival camps could provide another incentive for him not to pick just one candidate.
Gibbons has no less than six former Trump campaign employees on his payroll, including Bill Stepien, his 2020 campaign manager.
Timken brought on Kellyanne Conway, Corey Lewandowski, and David Bossie—all seasoned veterans of the 2016 campaign—as “senior strategists.”
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