Rep. Jim Banks (R-ID) this weekend appeared to back off his previous endorsements of Donald Trump’s potential 2024 candidacy, telling Fox News Sunday that “I’ll save my endorsement for another place and time for the 2024 race.”
The Republican lawmaker has on multiple occasions signaled his support for a Trump 2024 run, telling Politico over the summer that he would back the former president as soon as he enters the race. “If President Trump runs, he has my support,” Banks said. “And he helps us draw out Trump voters which helps us win in November in the midterm… He’s more popular than he’s ever been before.”
And earlier this week, the day after Trump-backed candidates vastly underperformed in the midterm elections—leading many within the party to blame the ex-president and signal a break from the election-denying leader—Banks told The New York Times that he still supported Trump, who “transformed our party.”