President Trump signaled support for Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt Wednesday, wading into the local election less than two weeks before the primary.
The president was at Joint Base Andrews for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Commencement when he responded to a reporter’s question about Pratt’s run for mayor.
“I’d like to see him do well. He’s a character,” Trump said. “I heard he’s a big MAGA person. He’s doing well.”
While Trump didn’t make a formal endorsement, his comments appear to be the first the president has made publicly in support of Pratt in the L.A. mayor’s race. Voters go to the polls in the city’s primary June 2.
Pratt, a registered Republican and former reality TV star, is running in a heavily Democratic city where Republicans make up less than 15% of the registered voting base.
He has been polling strongly in second and third place in most major polls. Mayor Karen Bass has led the polls while Pratt and Councilmember Nithya Raman are also vying for a spot in the Nov. 3 runoff.
Pratt’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Everybody wants me to succeed because L.A. is the most important city in the country,” Pratt told TMZ Wednesday. “The only support I need is from moms that wanna feel safe in Los Angeles. I’m laser focused on that.”
Though he is a Republican, Pratt hasn’t identified as “MAGA” and has repeatedly pointed out that the mayoral primary is nonpartisan, with candidates running neither as Republicans or Democrats.
Even so, Pratt has garnered support from prominent Republicans.
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said he was glad Pratt got in the race when Pratt first announced and Richard Grenell, Trump’s Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions, endorsed Pratt at the time, as did Chad Bianco, who is running for governor in the next month’s primary.
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