Donald Trump participates in the final presidential debate against Joe Biden in 2020 (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images).

Former President Donald Trump’s coveted endorsement in the Missouri GOP gubernatorial primary finally arrived Saturday night, with Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and state Sen. Bill Eigel forced to share the honor.

All three quickly crowed to supporters about Trump’s endorsement, never mentioning the fact that it was split three ways.

“All have had excellent careers, and have been with me from the beginning. They are MAGA and America First all the way!” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. “I can’t hurt two of them by Endorsing one so, therefore, I’m going to Endorse, for Governor of the Great State of Missouri, Jay Ashcroft, Mike Kehoe, and Bill Eigel. Choose any one of them – You can’t go wrong!”

Trump took a similar step in 2022, when he endorsed “Eric” in the U.S. Senate race instead of choosing between the race’s GOP frontrunners, Eric Schmitt and Eric Greitens.

Schmitt went on to win the seat.

Eigel was out quickly with a statement, proclaiming that he’d won the endorsement.

“Grateful for the kind words and endorsement, President Trump,” Eigel posted on social media.

Kehoe was next, saying in a press release that now that his campaign has Trump’s endorsement, “we’ll unite conservatives across Missouri and have a great victory in November, but we first need to win on Aug. 6.”

Ashcroft took a slightly different tack, posting on social media that he was the only candidate in the race for governor who has been endorsed by both Trump and Missouri Right to Life.

Trump easily won Missouri’s 10 electoral votes in both 2016 and 2020, and is expected to win the state again this fall.

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening hedged his endorsement in the Republican primary for Missouri governor, pledging his support to all three major candidates.

The decision, which Trump announced just before 7:30 p.m. on his social media platform, Truth Social, comes amid a tight race for governor between Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Sen. Bill Eigel of Weldon Spring.

“All have had excellent careers, and have been with me from the beginning. They are MAGA and America First all the way!” Trump wrote in the post. “I can’t hurt two of them by Endorsing one so, therefore, I’m going to Endorse, for Governor of the Great State of Missouri, Jay Ashcroft, Mike Kehoe, and Bill Eigel. Choose any one of them – You can’t go wrong!”

The split decision allows each of the candidates, who have long fought for Trump’s support, to claim his endorsement before the Aug. 6 primary election. It also gives the former president the opportunity to claim victory no matter which candidate wins.

Each candidate quickly seized on the endorsement. Ashcroft was the first, saying he was “excited to stand with” Trump.

“No one has fought harder for President Trump than me,” Ashcroft posted on social media. “Thank you President Trump!”

Eigel posted that he was grateful for “the kind words” and endorsement. He followed up by posting a graphic touting the endorsement and promising to “deport every illegal” as Republicans attempt to draw attention to illegal immigration ahead of the election.

Kehoe also thanked Trump, saying he looked forward to working with Trump “as we close the wide-open southern border, back our police, and stand strong for our conservative values.”

Trump’s post marked the second time the former president has hedged his endorsement in Missouri. In the 2022 Republican primary for U.S. Senate, Trump backed “ERIC,” without specifying whether he was supporting then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt or former Gov. Eric Greitens. Schmitt went on to win the primary and the general election.

Trump, who is running for president, has loomed over Republican primary races across the country. Missouri Republicans have battled to demonstrate loyalty and support to the former president, including making immigration a central focus of their campaigns.

Jean Evans, a former executive director of the Missouri Republican Party, previously told The Star that each candidate for governor would try to earn an endorsement from Trump.

“The best case scenario he’s supporting you, worst case scenario he’s supporting somebody else,” she said at the time. “So you’re trying to stem that off, but I would imagine all three of them have some attempts to meet with Trump.”

Publicly available polling has consistently shown a tight race between Kehoe and Ashcroft at the top, followed by Eigel in third.

Trump, in his post, said he loved Missouri “for every reason in the book, including the fact that it is ‘loaded up’ with truly GREAT people.”

“I also like Endorsing Candidates for Office if I think they’re good, and usually there is a differentiation, usually a big one, where it is not that difficult to do,” he said. “But Missouri has three great people running for Governor – Jay Ashcroft, Mike Kehoe, and Bill Eigel.”

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade and businessman Mike Hamra, both from Springfield, are the two major Democratic candidates running for governor.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Missouri 6-year-old lost his life after a tragic boating accident on Table Rock Lake over the weekend.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol indicates that just after 11:10 a.m. on Friday, July 26, emergency crews were called to a cove in Table Rock Lake south of Hollister with reports of a fatal boat collision.

When first responders arrived, they said they found a 6-year-old from Carthage, Mo., had been riding a kneeboard behind a 1999 Maxum open motorboat driven by Bethany L. Roy, 31, of Carthage, in Clevenger Cove on Table Rock Lake.

State Troopers noted that the child fell from the kneeboard and Roy attempted to return to him, however, the child, who was in a life vest, swam toward the rear of the boat and was caught by its propeller while still in reverse.

First responders said the child was pronounced deceased at the scene. No further information has been released.

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.