Former coal CEO and West Virginia U.S. Senate candidate Don Blankenship accused the GOP establishment of misinforming President Trump about him and said he is considered “Trumpier than Trump” after the president urged West Virginia voters to reject his candidacy.
“The president is a very busy man and he doesn’t know how flawed my two main opponents are in this primary,” Blankenship said in a statement Monday morning. “The establishment is misinforming him because they do not want me to be in the U.S. Senate and promote the president’s agenda.”
Blankenship, who spent a year in prison for his role in a 2010 mine explosion, is running against Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-W.V., and state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey in Tuesday’s Republican primary. The winner will face Democratic incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin in November’s general election.
In an early-morning tweet Monday, Trump urged West Virginia voters to vote for either Jenkins or Morrisey and warned that voting for Blankenship could lead Democrats to hold the seat.
“To the great people of West Virginia we have, together, a really great chance to keep making a big difference,” the president tweeted. “Problem is, Don Blankenship, currently running for Senate, can’t win the General Election in your State…No way! Remember Alabama. Vote Rep. Jenkins or A.G. Morrisey!”
To the great people of West Virginia we have, together, a really great chance to keep making a big difference. Problem is, Don Blankenship, currently running for Senate, can’t win the General Election in your State…No way! Remember Alabama. Vote Rep. Jenkins or A.G. Morrisey!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
Trump was referencing last year’s special Senate election in Alabama, when Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore.
But Blankenship vowed to win the Republican primary and defeat Manchin in November.
“Neither of my opponents can beat Joe Manchin without my support, but I will beat Joe Manchin even without the support of the establishment,” he said. “West Virginia voters should remember that my enemies are Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and my opponents would not even be running as Republicans had I not resurrected the Republican Party in West Virginia.”
“Tomorrow, West Virginia will send the swamp a message—no one, and I mean no one, will tell us how to vote,” he continued. “As some have said, I am Trumpier than Trump, and this morning proves it.”
Morrisey ramped up his criticisms of Blankenship over the weekend, with a robocall Saturday calling Blankenship a “convicted criminal” and a news conference Sunday hitting the former coal CEO for failing to file a personal financial disclosure form in violation of federal law.
