Former President Trump is irritated that his son’s girlfriend, former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, is backing former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens in the state’s Senate contest.
Politico Playbook reported on Friday that Trump has complained about Guilfoyle’s decision to join Greitens’s Senate campaign as its national chairwoman, believing that the former Missouri governor could prove damaging to Republicans’ efforts to hold retiring Sen. Roy Blunt’s (R-Mo.) seat next year.
Once a rising star in Republican politics, Greitens resigned as governor in 2018 amid mounting scandals, including allegations that he blackmailed a woman whom he had an affair with. Greitens has admitted to the affair, but has denied the blackmail allegations.
Since announcing his Senate campaign in March, Greitens has sought to tie himself closely to the former president, touting the endorsement of Trump allies such as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and bringing on Guilfoyle as his national campaign chairwoman.
But one Trump adviser told Playbook that Trump would not endorse Greitens at this point in time, given the former governor’s controversial history.
There’s already a long list of Republicans vying for the nomination to replace Blunt next year, with top contenders including Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) and state Attorney General Eric Schmitt. Other prominent Republicans are believed to be eyeing the seat as well, including Reps. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), Billy Long (R-Mo.) and Jason Smith (R-Mo.).
A March survey from Trump’s pollster Tony Fabrizio found Greitens with a nearly 40-point lead in the GOP primary contest. But more recent polling is scarce and the field has grown significantly since then.