Former President Trump declined to endorse Republican candidate Steve Garvey in the California Senate race during a stop in the state Friday, saying the former Dodger did not solicit his endorsement.
“I don’t know much about Steve Garvey,” Trump said. “I think he made a big mistake because he didn’t reach out to MAGA, and if he doesn’t have MAGA, he doesn’t stand a chance.
Trump made the remarks during an event at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf course ahead of a planned fundraising event in the Bay Area on Friday afternoon.
Trump further contradicted himself by saying that Garvey could win if he got “MAGA support” but also that Garvey could not win because California does not have a fair election.
“If you had fair elections, he would have won. But you don’t have a fair election,” Trump said.
In response to Trump’s comments, Garvey said he was running a “different type of campaign” in which he “has not accepted or solicited a single political endorsement” other than from “the law enforcement community and first responders.”
Garvey said he is focused on reaching California’s Latino community and “issues that really matter to Californians — affordability, public safety, border security, addressing the homelessness crisis and restoring California’s leadership.”
Trump also attacked Garvey’s opponent in the Senate race, Rep. Adam B. Schiff. The Burbank Democrat has been one of Trump’s main antagonists for years, helping lead investigations into Trump’s campaign ties to Russia, Trump’s first impeachment for currying political favor with Ukraine and his second impeachment for inciting the Jan. 6 uprising at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump called Schiff “one of the dirtiest politicians in history” and “one of the most disgusting human beings.”
“And to think he’s going to be a senator,” Trump said. “That’s why you need me as president, because this guy is a scumbag. It is impossible to believe that Adam Schiff represents this area.
Schiff has consistently defended his work as standing up to a “corrupt president”. On Friday, he posted a video of Trump making his latest attacks, writing: “I don’t think he likes me.”
By comparison, Trump called Garvey a “nice guy” but also said he “doesn’t know him at all.” He said he had not spoken to Garvey, but suggested that Garvey call him.
Too much association with Trump could be seen as a potential problem in California, where Democrats hold a significant advantage in voter registrations. That means Trump maintains strong support among Republicans in the state. Trump lost almost 2-1 in California in 2020, but still won 6 million votes.
Garvey has repeatedly admitted in the past that he voted for Trump, a point Schiff was happy to point out. But the Republican tried to steer the Senate race away from Trump.
On Friday, Garvey said he is “running the ‘Steve Garvey’ campaign for all the people of California, not for partisans or special interests.”
