Sen. Mike Lee Endorses Trump for President

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) speaks at a news conference on government spending at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Dec. 7, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Friday endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, saying that the choice between the former president and the incumbent is like between “order” and “chaos.”

Mr. Lee said in a Friday night appearance on Laura Ingraham’s show on Fox News that he’s “wholeheartedly” endorsing President Trump and that conservatives should back the former president even if there’s some daylight between their views and his.

“Look, whether you like Donald Trump or not, whether you agree with everything he says or not, he is our one opportunity to choose order over chaos and putting America first over America last,” Mr. Lee said.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump participates in a Fox News Town Hall in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 10, 2024. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

‘It’s Time’

The Utah Republican went on to say that President Trump is a known quantity in the Republican field—and that voters can count on him to keep his campaign promises.

“And so, whether you agree with him on every point or not, if you are not content with the status quo—the status quo of lawlessness, of putting America last—it’s time to get behind Donald Trump, and I wholeheartedly endorse Donald J. Trump in his bid for the presidency in 2024,” Mr. Lee said.

The latest pledge of support from Mr. Lee gives President Trump 21 endorsements from Republicans in the Senate.

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President Trump currently boasts nearly 170 significant endorsements, while the top two contenders trailing the former president in the polls—former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—have around two dozen similar endorsements combined.

Republican presidential candidates Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (L) and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) participate in CNN’s GOP presidential primary debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 10, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Notably, the former president has secured the endorsements of all senior members of House Republican leadership: House GOP Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), and GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).

President Trump is currently the frontrunner by far in his bid for the Republican nomination, with 61.1 percent support, according to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average.

Ms. Haley—who recently received an embarrassing “anti-endorsement” from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)—is polling in second place with 11.3 percent support.

Mr. DeSantis, who has 17 notable endorsements, is third with 10.9 percent as the field of contenders approaches the first primary—the Republican Party of Iowa’s Jan. 15 caucus.

Iowa In Focus

A Midwestern state of around 3 million people, Iowa becomes the center of the political universe every four years because of its unique position as the first state to vote on presidential hopefuls.

As the countdown continues to the first-in-the-nation caucus, attention is focused on a new Iowa poll set to be released at 8 p.m. EST on Jan. 13.

The latest Iowa polls from Real Clear Politics show President Trump ahead with an average of 53 percent, followed by Ms. Haley with 17.8 percent, Mr. DeSantis with 15.5 percent, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy with 6.5 percent.

President Trump recently predicted that he’ll eventually get an endorsement from Mr. Ramaswamy, who has defended the former president against what he’s described as politically-driven prosecutions.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a CNN Town Hall at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, in a still from video, on Dec. 13, 2023. (CNN/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

The former president faces numerous court battles, including dozens of criminal indictments, all of which he’s described as efforts inspired by his political rivals to derail his White House bid.

President Trump’s key rivals have spent a significant amount of time campaigning in Iowa, traveling widely to make their case before voters. The former president has traveled to Iowa 14 times since March 2023, oftentimes for his signature rally-style events.

A poor showing in Iowa for President Trump could invigorate his opponents on both sides of the aisle and call into question the likelihood of a second Trump term.