Donald Trump announces endorsement of U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde in Wisconsin

WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate Eric Hovde in his quest to unseat Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

Trump singled out the banking mogul during a speech at his rally in Green Bay, saying he was giving Hovde his "complete and total endorsement. So go out and win. You better win."

"I think he's going to be fantastic. You have tremendous potential," Trump told Hovde from the stage. He mentioned Baldwin, who is seeking her third term in the Senate: "She's a very weak candidate. I mean, if you lose to her, that's not a good thing, OK?"

The support from Trump comes as Hovde appears set to face Baldwin in the November election. Hovde, a multi-millionaire banking and real estate mogul backed by national Republicans, is the only viable Republican currently in the race, and his only prospective challenger announced last month he would not mount a challenge to Hovde, fearing a "bloody primary."

Hovde's campaign before the rally on Tuesday announced he had raised over $1 million from at least 1,000 different donors since he launched his campaign in late February, making him eligible to secure the Republican Party of Wisconsin's endorsement at its state convention in Appleton, set for May 16-19.

More:Wisconsin U.S. Senate race updates: Eric Hovde reaches endorsement threshold with $1M raised

Trump announced the endorsement during his first stop in Wisconsin of the 2024 campaign with just over seven months until the election. The visit to a snowy Green Bay fell on the same day as Wisconsin's presidential primary, though both Biden and Trump had already secured their party nominations.

Wisconsin Democrats were quick to react to the endorsement, using it to tie Hovde to Trump, who like Biden is currently unpopular among likely voters in the state.

“Eric Hovde and Donald Trump are birds of a feather: two out of touch rich guys running to put themselves first and Wisconsinites last," Arik Wolk, rapid response director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin said in a statement. "From banning abortion, repealing the Affordable Care Act, and promoting MAGA conspiracies about January 6 and the 2020 election, Donald Trump and Eric Hovde won’t fight for Wisconsin values.”

"I appreciate the support of President Trump and look forward to earning the support of voters all across Wisconsin to get our country back on track!" Hovde wrote in a tweet after the endorsement.

Before Trump took the stage Tuesday, Hovde spoke to the crowd. He railed against President Joe Biden's border policies and sought to tie Baldwin to the president, saying Baldwin votes with Biden 95.5% of the time.

He made no mention of Trump, rather ending his speech with a "Go Pack Go" chant as the Milwaukee Brewers were in the middle of their first home game of the season.

The outcome of Wisconsin's Senate race will help determine the balance of the Senate next year and is expected to see tens of millions of dollars pour into the race. Hovde is expected to self-fund portions of his campaign. Baldwin, meanwhile, has just over $8 million in cash on hand at the start of January.

And while Trump called Baldwin weak, the Madison Democrat is a formidable opponent who has defeated challengers by greater margins than usually seen in the tight battleground state. She defeated former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson by 5 points in 2012 and Leah Vukmir by 11 points in 2018.

Still, Trump on Tuesday encouraged his supporters to get behind Hovde.

"So everybody go out, support him and get him to win," Trump told the crowd. "I think he's got a good chance, real good chance."

"That's a big race," he added. "And we'll be here to help."