The stunning defeat of a MAGA incumbent endorsed by President Donald Trump just doubled down on his public humiliation, analysts said Friday.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) lost his reelection bid to Charlie Hatcher, a former dairy farmer backed by establishment Republicans, in the primary for his state’s 5th Congressional District and sent shockwaves through the nation.
“Ogles’ loss to Charlie Hatcher is a major upset,” wrote MSNOW analyst Carla Herreria.
The Hill analyst Caroline Vakil went further.
“Voters in Tennessee dealt President Trump a blow,” she wrote. “Trump took a major hit.”
Vakil explained that Trump had come out strong for Ogles, attending a tele-rally in late July and describing the calling the House Republican — who has stated publicly Muslims and gay people don’t belong in America — as “a terrific guy.”
But voters did not seem convinced by Trump’s praise — and it wasn’t the first time, Vakil noted.
“This is the second House primary Trump has come up short in this week,” she wrote. “On Tuesday, Republican Amir Hassan lost his race in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District to a candidate who previously dropped out of the race.”
The Daily Beast‘s Cameron Adams argued Trump had been “humiliated” by Ogles’ defeat because of his status as an incumbent.
“A loss in a primary is rare for an incumbent member of Congress, particularly a Republican personally backed by Trump,” Adams wrote.
Mediaite’s David Gilmour argued the defeat shows Trump’s losing influence among his base.
“The result, however, serves as a fresh reminder that the president’s backing, while still influential, has not proved decisive in every race this cycle,” he wrote.
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