Congressman Lou Barletta, R-Penn., is now the eighth federal lawmaker to have endorsed Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, claiming he and the billionaire have overcome similar obstacles.
“He caught my attention immediately when he highlighted illegal immigration and the open Southern border,” Barletta said in an interview Tuesday with the Washington Post. “The fact that he didn’t back down, well, he was criticized the same way I was as mayor. It was reminiscent of what I went through.”
He continued, “I’ve been called names, a racist and a bigot. I fought my case all the way to the Supreme Court. Donald Trump will fight his case all the way to the White House.”
The immigration hardliner, who previously backed former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum’s presidential bid, also praised Trump’s proven ability to attract new voters to the Republican Party. Trump has recently called GOP voter turnout “the biggest story in politics” today.
“He is bringing more Democrats and independents to our party than anyone I can remember since Ronald Reagan,” Barletta said.
Barletta’s decision to endorse Trump reportedly comes after several of his colleagues encouraging him not to publicly back the bombastic New York billionaire. He claims he has not spoken with anyone in the Trump campaign, nor was he present Monday at a meeting between Trump and two dozen lawmakers in Washington.
“For me, I’m always going to do what I believe,” he said. “I’ve been a lone ranger my whole life.”
Trump also has the backing of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and Republican Congressmen Chris Collins, N.Y., Duncan Hunter, Calif., and Tom Marino, Penn., among others.
