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Trump on why he hasn't endorsed Garvey: 'He hasn't reached out to MAGA'

By Brett Samuels - 9/13/24, 4:33 PM EDT

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Former President Trump said Friday the onus was on California GOP Senate candidate Steve Garvey to reach out to the former president and his supporters if he wants an endorsement.

“I don't know much about Steve Garvey. I think he's made a big mistake because he hasn't reached out to MAGA,” Trump said following remarks in California when asked why he hadn’t endorsed Garvey.

“I'm hearing he wants the MAGA endorsement, but he's got to call me. If he had the MAGA endorsement, he could win,” Trump added.

Garvey, a Republican, is running for the California Senate seat left open by Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler, who is not seeking a full term after being appointed following the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Garvey will face Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) in November after the two earned the most votes in a primary earlier this year.

Schiff is heavily favored to win the race in deep blue California. The congressman has for years been a top foil to Trump, leading impeachment efforts against the then-president and serving as the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. 

Trump on Friday called Schiff "one of the most disgusting human beings."

A September poll from Emerson College showed Schiff leading Garvey in the race by 22 percentage points, 55 percent to 33 percent.

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