U.S. Senate candidate Larry Hogan of Maryland doubled down Monday on his decision not to endorse Donald Trump after the Republican Party officially nominated the former president to lead their 2024 ticket two days after he survived an assassination attempt.
Mr. Hogan had previously said he would not be supporting Mr. Trump in 2024, after also declining to endorse him in his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. In an interview on CNN on Monday, Mr. Hogan was asked whether anything would get him to reconsider that decision.
Although he avoided a direct answer, Mr. Hogan did not offer any signals that he would change his mind. He instead pivoted to speak about the attempt on Mr. Trump’s life as an “inflection point” in which he hopes both parties will come together and “stop the angry divisive, toxic politics.”
“I’m glad to hear that Donald Trump and Joe Biden are both now talking about lowering the temperature and trying to talk about, you know, trying to unite the country,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve been very passionate about and focused on for many, many years.”
Mr. Hogan, a former Maryland governor, was also asked about Mr. Trump’s newly announced running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance. He said he doesn’t believe they’ve ever met but noted, “we share very different views.”
Most Republicans are gathered in Milwaukee this week for the Republican National Convention. But Mr. Hogan said he is in Maryland, focusing on his Senate race against Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, county executive for Prince George’s County.
In trying to convince voters from blue Maryland to elect a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1980, Mr. Hogan has not sought Mr. Trump’s endorsement.
“Quite frankly, it’s not much of a factor in Maryland where he lost by 33 points and I ran 46 points ahead of him,” he said.
Mr. Trump did endorse Mr. Hogan last month in a Fox News interview after a visit to Capitol Hill during which he tried to make peace with his GOP critics.
“I’d like to see him win. I think he has a good chance to win,” Mr. Trump said of Mr. Hogan. “I know other people made some strong statements. But I can just say from my standpoint, I’m about the party and I’m about the country. And I would like to see him win.”
Mr. Hogan is not supporting President Biden either as he campaigns as a candidate who can work with or against either party, depending on the interests of his state.
“I’ve been out there trying to convince people on both sides of the aisle that I’m the right person to send to Washington, that I have the courage to stand up to the current president, to the former president, to the Democratic Party, or the Republican Party,” he said.
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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