U.S. Representative Don Bacon (R-NE), who has been described as a “moderate centrist” within the Republican Party, has been a critic of former President Donald Trump. Bacon did not join congressional Republicans who sided with the Trump campaign’s attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election, and he voted to certify both Arizona’s and Pennsylvania’s votes in the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count.
While campaigning for the 2024 GOP presidential primaries, Trump has tried to recruit a populist Republican to run against Bacon in the swing district as he runs for re-election — but no other Republican has emerged.
Yesterday, Bacon told CNN reporter Manu Raju that he’s now endorsing Trump for the GOP nomination. When asked about his decision, having been “once a sharp critic of Trump’s,” Bacon said, “it’s a choice between two people.” Bacon seemed to imply a binary, “lesser of two evils” sort of choice, but one that would, as he’s said elsewhere, be pro-life and help install conservative Supreme Court justices.
Don Bacon, a swing district Republican and once a sharp critic of Trump’s, is endorsing him now that he’s got the nomination locked up.
“It’s a choice between two people,” he says in explaining his endorsement.
Asked him if he’d still endorse Trump if convicted of a crime: pic.twitter.com/7HKTPDp0EY
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 13, 2024
When asked, “If Trump is convicted of a crime, will you still support him?” Bacon replied, “That’s hypothetical, let’s take it one step at a time.” Bacon added, “Obviously, we don’t want someone that’s been convicted of a crime.” Raju followed up, “Would you want a felon as your nominee?” and Bacon replied, “No, we would not.”
Note: House Speaker Mike Johnson visited Omaha and endorsed Bacon in December. Johnson called Bacon a “common-sense conservative” and a “majority maker.” Bacon’s Democratic opponent, State Senator Tony Vargas — who narrowly lost to Bacon in 2022 — is criticizing Bacon for embracing “the most radical Speaker in U.S. history.”
Vargas also criticized Bacon for changing his position on the Republican-led impeachment probe of President Biden — from being against it to supporting it — one week before Johnson’s visit to Omaha.