Sen Marshall endorses Trump for president, calls for end to ‘political primary charade’

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kans., endorsed former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race on Monday, calling for an end to the “political primary charade.”

Marshall, an ally of Trump since the former president’s one term in office, said he’s endorsing Trump to bolster the priorities of farmers, restore border security and slash inflation rates caused by the Biden administration.

“Since the day Joe Biden stepped foot in the Oval Office, this White House declared war on American agriculture and American energy independence in pursuit of their Green New Deal agenda and electric vehicle mandates,” Marshall said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Joe Biden declared war on American sovereignty by opening our borders, ceding control to the cartels, allowing nearly 10 million illegal aliens into our country, and permitting lethal fentanyl to pour into our communities,” he continued.

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Marshall blamed Biden’s “absent leadership” and said he abandoned the country’s “Christian values and undermined our constitutional rights.”

“Our farmers and ranchers feed the world, and Kansans deserve a President who understands that, and a leader who values the energy Americans produce. That is why I’m endorsing President Donald Trump. While others may try to imitate him, only President Trump will put our country back on track on day one,” he said.

“Along with the onslaught of strangling regulations, Joe Biden declared war on our economy by unleashing a level of federal spending never seen in modern history, causing the highest inflation and interest rates that we’ve seen in decades,” he said.

He added: “It’s time for the GOP to unite behind President Trump. Let’s end the political primary charade and focus on retiring Joe Biden.”

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Marshall was a vocal critic against the Democrat-led impeachment hearing in 2021 following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and voted to acquit Trump in February. At the time, he said “both sides of the aisle are guilty of heated rhetoric,” regarding Jan. 6. 

“But, equally guilty are the House Managers and the Democrats for their hypocrisy, and President Trump’s defense team painted that picture clearly,” he said in February 2021.

The senator also supported Trump’s efforts to tighten election integrity after the contested 2020 general election. 

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Marshall joins a group of a dozen Republicans in the upper chamber who have already endorsed Trump. 

Meanwhile, Trump has the support of nearly 80 Republicans in the House. On Sunday, Trump also received the backing of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Trump leads the GOP nomination race with the backing of a record 62% of Republican primary voters in a new Fox News survey published last week. That translates to a roughly 50-point gap between Trump and Ron DeSantis (14%), and Nikki Haley (11%). Vivek Ramaswamy (7%), Chris Christie (3%), and Asa Hutchinson (1%) trail even further.