Trump says Garvey made ‘big mistake’ in not seeking his support

Former President Trump declined to endorse Republican candidate Steve Garvey in California’s U.S. Senate race during a stop in the state Friday, saying the former Dodger had not asked for his support.

“I don’t know much about Steve Garvey,” Trump said. “I think he made a big mistake because he didn’t reach out to MAGA, and if he doesn’t have MAGA, he doesn’t have a chance.”

Trump made the remarks at an event at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf course, ahead of a fundraising event planned in the Bay Area on Friday afternoon.

Trump then contradicted himself by saying that Garvey could win if he got the “MAGA endorsement,” but also that Garvey couldn’t win because California doesn’t have fair elections.

“If the election had been fair, he would have won. But the election is not fair,” Trump said.

In response to Trump’s comments, Garvey said he was running “a different type of campaign” in which he “did not get or ask for a single political endorsement” other than that of “the law enforcement and first responder community.”

Garvey said he is focused on outreach to California’s Latino community and “the issues that really matter to Californians: affordability, public safety, securing the border, addressing the homelessness crisis and restoring California’s leadership.”

Trump also attacked Garvey’s Senate opponent, Rep. Adam B. Schiff. The Burbank Democrat has been a top Trump adversary for years, helping lead the investigation into Trump’s campaign ties to Russia, Trump’s first impeachment for soliciting political favors from Ukraine and his second impeachment for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump called Schiff “one of the most crooked politicians in history” and “one of the most disgusting human beings.”

“And to think he’s going to be a senator,” Trump said. “That’s why you need me as president, because this guy is a scumbag. There’s no way you can believe Adam Schiff is going to represent this region.”

Schiff has consistently defended his work by saying he opposes a “corrupt president.” On Friday, he posted a video of Trump launching his new attacks and wrote, “I don’t think he likes me.”

In comparison, Trump called Garvey a “nice guy,” but also said he didn’t “know him at all.” He said he hadn’t spoken to Garvey, but suggested Garvey call him.

Too often associating with Trump could be seen as a potential liability in California, where Democrats have a sizable advantage in voter registration. That said, Trump retains strong support among Republicans in the state. Trump lost by nearly 2-to-1 margins in California in 2020, but still received 6 million votes.

Garvey acknowledged voting for Trump several times in the past, which Schiff was quick to point out. But the Republican has tried to steer Trump away from the Senate race.

On Friday, Garvey said he was “running a ‘Steve Garvey’ campaign for all California citizens, not for partisan or special interests.”