Tennessee
Donald Trump touts endorsement wins in Tennessee, calls Gov. Bill Lee a RINO
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee gives a speech at the 2024 RNC in Milwaukee
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee was among several notable Republicans to speak during Day 2 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 16.
Former President Donald Trump touted his endorsement wins in Tennessee and called Gov. Bill Lee a Republican in Name Only.
Trump took the swing at Lee in a social media post when namechecking Bobby Harshbarger, the Kingsport pharmacist who toppled incumbent state Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, the powerful chair of the Senate Education Committee.
Harshbarger, the son of U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, had nabbed a Trump endorsement in the race while Lee backed Lundberg, one of the more influential senators at the General Assembly and a key ally in his quest to establish a statewide school voucher program.
“I went 10 for 10 on endorsements tonight in the Great State of Tennessee, including Bobby Harshbarger, running against a strong, long-term incumbent supported by RINO Governor Bill Lee. A Great Day for Tennessee–now on to a Complete and Total Victory in November. MAGA 2024,” Trump posted on Truth Social following the election.
The comment highlights Trump’s willingness to lash out at even close allies. Lee, a deeply conservative Republican who chairs the Republican Governor’s Association, has backed Trump and even traveled to Milwaukee in July to help kick off the Republican National Convention.
“I certainly respect President Trump’s decisions to weigh in to races,” Lee told The Tennessean in Milwaukee when asked if he wished Trump hadn’t waded into a local race. “That being said, I’m grateful for Jon Lundberg’s work and what he’s done to work with us. I’ll continue to do everything I can to make sure he gets reelected.”