Eric Greitens is betting he can get over his past as a disgraced former governor – previously accused of being sexually assaulted by his mistress and physically abusing his son by his wife – by launching a A scorched-earth campaign to win a political comeback. United States Senate.
That bet came to an end Tuesday night when Missouri Republican voters went to the polls. They gave Gretens a decisive answer: No.
Gretens came in third among a crowded Senate candidate in what was billed as a victory for Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmidt.
The former Republican star’s flameout should bring relief to people from Missouri to Washington, D.C. .
Conversely, Schmidt’s victory in the primary means Republicans can breathe easy. While Democrats want to contest in Missouri regardless of the Republican nominee, Schmidt is the overwhelming favorite, keeping Sen. Roy Blunt’s seat in Republican hands.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) never explicitly called on him to drop out of the race when he was asked in March to respond to new allegations against Gretens that emerged on the campaign trail. But McConnell has strongly hinted that he believes Missouri voters will reject his candidacy.
In fact, powerful Republican interests work hard to make sure this happens. Influential Republican donors and power brokers spent huge sums trying to get Gretens out of office, and an anti-Gretens super PAC raised $8 million in the primary.
But Gretens never completely shunned in Trump’s orbit, adding a layer of intrigue to the primaries that ended up being a proxy battle between the various Republican camps. Trump’s son, Don Jr., and his fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle, are reportedly among the most prominent Republican players pushing Gretens.
At the same time, Schmidt touted the endorsements of some Trump world celebrities, from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to former Trump press secretary and current Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. No. 2 Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) was the only candidate to be pre-emptively rejected by Trump, backed by Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley.
Although Gretens has courted the far-right Republican base with deliberately provocative ads — including one he posted showing himself “hunting RINO” with offensive weapons in a string of real mass shootings — it is very important to Clearly, only the explicit endorsement of Trump could make Gretens leap into the Republican ranks. The top spot in the junior field.
But Trump rejected his endorsement throughout the campaign. On Monday night, Trump issued a statement saying he supported “ERIC.” He did not specify which one. Both Gretens and Schmidt have called themselves the Eric Trump wants to support.
Clearly, this partial endorsement isn’t enough, so Gretens’ defeat on Tuesday could put a definite punctuation mark on his political career, which has unraveled in spectacular fashion.
But his long, MAGA-inspired campaign for the Senate could leave a lasting mark. Grettens, for example, frequently attacked McConnell on the campaign trail, saying he would never support him as Senate Republican leader.
Just days before the junior, Schmidt finally aggravated the issue and pledged not to support McConnell.
