Trump Endorses Leora Levy In Republican Senate Primary Battle

CONNECTICUT — Former president Donald Trump endorsed Leora Levy in the Republican U.S. Senate primary Thursday evening, just days ahead of Connecticut's primary.

Trump made the endorsement over a phone call at a Montville event, according to the CT Mirror. Levy was nominated by Trump to be the U.S. ambassador to Chile in 2019.

Levy is running against former State House Minority Leader Themis Klarides and immigration lawyer Peter Lumaj. Klarides has distanced herself from Trump and said it wouldn't be good for the country if he ran for president again in 2024, according to the New Haven Independent. Lumaj is also a Trump supporter. Trump lost to President Joe Biden by a 20 percentage point margin in 2020.

Klarides is the party-endorsed candidate in the race.

Trump followed up the phone call with a written endorsement of Levy. He cited her work for the Republican National Committee and said she would be an advocate for Connecticut and conservative values.

Trump took the opportunity to criticize incumbent Sen. Richard Blumenthal, calling him a, "mocked and laughed at fool," for his previous misleading statements about serving in Vietnam. Blumenthal was a Marine Corps reservist who served during the Vietnam era, but not in the country itself. The misleading statements came up in 2010 when Blumenthal first ran for Senate; he later apologized and said he misspoke.

It's not the first time Trump has criticized Blumenthal on the matter, but his claims about what Blumenthal said have grown exaggerated over the years, according to Fact Check.

Trump also criticized Klarides and said she was endorsed by, "3 of the worst RINOS in the country," including Larry Hogan, Charlie Baker and Chris Christie. He said she would be weak on crime, military and 2nd amendment rights.

Klarides told the CT Mirror Levy had been begging for Trump's endorsement since the winter and that it doesn't change anything in the primary race.

Trump's endorsement seems to be a mixed bag among candidates in Connecticut. Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob Stefanowski told Hearst Connecticut that he wouldn't seek Trump's endorsement for the 2022 race. He was endorsed when he first ran for governor in 2018.