Darren Bailey Heads to Mar-a-Lago As Illinois GOP Candidates Duke It Out for Trump’s Blessing
In a new twist to the already chaotic Illinois GOP gubernatorial primary, Darren Bailey just dropped a potential bombshell, saying he met with Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago this week and will be “releasing details soon.”
It’s no surprise that Bailey made the trip south — with a crowded field desperate for far-right votes, kissing up to Trump has become a requisite. But just because Bailey made a stop at Mar-a-Lago, doesn’t mean he has the endorsement sewn up. The rest of the field has not been shy in their over-the-top praise of Trump.
Here’s what the IL GOP candidates for governor have said about Trump:
- Darren Bailey: “I stand with President Trump!”
- Gary Rabine: “I was one of the largest donors in Illinois to the Trump campaign and I have never voted in a Democratic Primary.”
- Paul Schimpf: “I did vote for President Trump both in 2016 and 2020. I do not regret that vote at all.”
- Jesse Sullivan: “If you’re looking for Donald Trump’s policies in the state of Illinois, I’m your guy.”
Notably absent from the list is Richard Irvin who is still grappling with his “Trump issue,” refusing to answer whether he supports Trump or who he voted for in the 2016 and 2020 elections. With this new development, Irvin has a few more questions he needs to answer:
- Will Richard Irvin make his own pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago?
- Would Richard Irvin accept a Trump endorsement?
- And what on earth will Richard Irvin say when Trump asks him who he voted for in 2016 and 2020??
“All the Republican candidates for governor know that Trump’s endorsement is their best chance to make it through this bruising primary,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “Now that Darren Bailey has made the trip to Mar-a-Lago, it’s time to sit back and watch what lengths the rest of the field goes to — or in the case of Richard Irvin — what pretzels he twists himself into.”
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