A Nevada Republican whom Donald Trump chose not to support threw a public tantrum and accused the former president and convicted felon of accepting bribes for endorsements, according to a new report.
Dr. Jeff Gunter, a Senatorial candidate in Tuesday's Republican primary, lashed out after Trump endorsed opponent Sam Brown by claiming on social media and to the New York Times he could produce evidence the former president had been bribed.
"Sadly, the suspicions many of us have had about 'endorsements' are being confirmed," Gunter wrote on X Monday.
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Gunter, who served as the then-president's ambassador to Iceland, claimed Trump was torn between "fearless MAGA warriors" who wanted to prevent him from endorsing Brown and a well-funded National Republican Senate Committee who sent him a "big check" from "the swamp."
While Gunter claimed this explained Trump's late-night Truth Social endorsement, NRSC spokesperson Mike Berg had another theory, the Times reports.
"Jeff Gunter has become totally unglued," Berg told the Times, "and is making false, defamatory accusations against N.R.S.C. and President Trump’s team.”
Trump's campaign put it in blunter terms, via an X spat between Gunter and the former president's senior adviser Chris LaCivita.
"You have a habit of making up c---," LaCivita responded to Gunter's claim. "President Trump makes his own decisions and this is another example of him choosing wisely."
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When the Times asked for evidence "the swamp" bought Trump's endorsement, Gunter's campaign first replied "stay tuned," then stopped responding to questions.
The story broke as Gunter and Brown, an Army Veteran, faced off in a crowded primary of Republicans hoping to challenge Democrat Sen. Jacky Rosen in November.
The Times notes that while Gunter served in the Trump administration, Brown is leading in the polls.
