Axios: “Donald Trump had to be talked out of making an early endorsement in Ohio’s 2022 U.S. Senate race, a sign of his eagerness to reengage politically, people familiar with the conversations tell Axios. The former president discussed endorsing former state GOP chair Jane Timken last week during a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, but top advisers – including Donald Trump Jr. – urged him to wait. ‘It’s way too early to make endorsement decisions in many of the races, particularly when primaries are more than a year away,’ Trump adviser Jason Miller told Axios. Endorsements will come only after candidate establish their campaigns and are vetted by the Trump operation, including filling out a questionnaire that will ‘help ensure all endorsees are conservative America First Republicans,’ Miller said.”
“Trump’s endorsement, which is highly coveted by Republicans across the country, could be the deciding factor for the Ohio GOP, a state party that’s veered away from traditional John Kasich conservatism toward a full-on embrace of Trumpism. During their meeting, Trump asked McDaniel what she thought about Timken, who recently resigned as state party chair. He also wondered whether McDaniel thought Timken is ‘loyal’ to him, two sources said.”