Donald Trump stated Monday that his political endorsements have achieved a 97% success rate during recent election cycles. In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, the former president shared graphs detailing his record across congressional, Senate, and gubernatorial races from 2018 to 2026.
The statement comes as the United States approaches the midterm elections. Trump described the strength of his endorsements as at an all-time high, asserting that his support has helped elect individuals who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to serve in office. He noted that the small percentage of his endorsed candidates who lost were supported primarily out of personal loyalty despite having a difficult path to victory.
Recent primary results highlight the impact of these endorsements in several states. In Alabama, Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Barry Moore won the Republican nomination for the Senate, defeating Jared Hudson. In Georgia, State Rep. Tim Fleming secured the Republican nomination for secretary of state in July, defeating Vernon Jones. However, the use of endorsements has faced internal party criticism; Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) recently questioned Trump's decision to support Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina's Republican Senate runoff, citing his own legislative and business qualifications.
The reported 97% success rate reflects the influence of the "America First" agenda on state-level election management and federal policy. In Georgia, the primary win by Tim Fleming to replace Brad Raffensperger moves a candidate into the general election who, while distancing himself from certain theories, has pledged to change election management rules. Voters will notice these changes through potential shifts in voter identification requirements and election administration procedures depending on the outcome of the general election against Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds.
Furthermore, these endorsements set a precedent for how the Republican establishment functions, as Trump transitions from a self-described outsider to a central figure in party selections. The knock-on effect includes a shift in how candidates message their platforms, with many, like Moore and Fleming, aligning their sites and campaigns with Trump’s specific policy pillars to appeal to the primary electorate. The next major steps in this process will occur during the midterm elections in November, when the primary winners face their Democratic opponents.