House majority whip Tom Emmer (R., Minn.) and Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) both endorsed Donald Trump for the presidency Wednesday morning, less than two weeks ahead of the Iowa caucuses.
One of the top five Republican leaders in the House to endorse Trump for the 2024 GOP primary, Emmer announced his support for the former president one day after House majority leader Steve Scalise (R., La.) did the same. Trump previously won endorsements from Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), House GOP Conference chair Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.), and National Republican Congressional Committee chair Richard Hudson (R., N.C.).
“Democrats have made clear they will use every tool in their arsenal to try and keep Joe Biden and his failed policies in power. We cannot let them,” Emmer said in a statement posted on X. “It’s time for Republicans to unite behind our party’s clear frontrunner, which is why I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President.”
Emmer previously endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020, but the pair’s relationship has been fraught recently. In October, when Emmer was running to become the next House speaker after former Representative Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) was ousted, Trump publicly criticized Emmer and called him a “globalist RINO,” leading the congressman to drop his bid.
Cotton announced his endorsement shortly after Emmer’s statement, saying because “everything has gone to hell” under the Biden administration in the past three years, Trump needs to regain the White House this November.
“When Donald Trump was president, America was safe, strong, and prosperous. The economy was booming, working-class wages were growing, our border was secure, and our enemies feared us. With Joe Biden as president, everything has gone to hell: families can’t afford groceries, our border is wide open to a full-blown invasion, and our enemies are starting wars everywhere,” Cotton posted on X.
“I endorse President Trump and I look forward to working with him to win back the White House and the Senate so we can help hardworking Arkansans suffering from Joe Biden’s disastrous policies,” the senator added. “It’s time to get our country back on track.”
Cotton is one of 19 Republican senators to endorse Trump in the 2024 race.
Trump is polling far above the remaining Republican candidates, with 62.7 percent support nationwide and 51.3 percent support in Iowa, according to RealClearPolitics. The first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses will be held January 15, followed by the New Hampshire GOP primary on January 23.