Former President Trump told reporters on Friday that California Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey "hasn’t reached out to MAGA" after the presidential nominee was asked why he hadn’t endorsed Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff’s opponent.
"I don’t know much about Steve Garvey. I think he’s made a big mistake because he hasn’t reached out to MAGA," Trump continued outside his Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes following a press conference where he spoke out against "Comrade Kamala Harris and the communist left."
He said if the former Major League Baseball star Garvey "doesn’t have MAGA, he has no chance."
Trump was fundraising in California on Thursday and Friday.
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Trump continued about Garvey: "Well, I haven’t spoken to him. I’m hearing he wants the MAGA endorsement, but he’s got to call me. If he had the MAGA endorsement, he could win. If you had an honest election he’d win, but you don’t have an honest election."
Garvey previously told FOX 11 that he voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020.
He told Fox News Digital in a statement: "Since day one, I've ran a different type of campaign, I have not taken or asked for a single political endorsement, the only endorsements I want are from the law enforcement community and first responders. This week we launched a historic campaign dedicating all of our resources to talk with California's Latino community from now until the election."
He added: "My focus is, and always has been, on the issues that truly matter to Californians – affordability, public safety, securing the border, fixing the homelessness crisis, and restoring California's leadership. I'm running a ‘Steve Garvey’ campaign for all the people of California, not for partisan or special interests. I'm committed to tackling the challenges that families and communities face every day and making sure that California has the voice it deserves in Washington."
Trump also disparaged Schiff as "one of the sleaziest politicians in history, Crooked Adam Schiff. He’s one of the most disgusting human beings and to think he’s going to be a senator. That’s why you need me as president, because this guy is a sleazebag."
He called it "impossible to believe" that Schiff could represent the area.
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The former president has long disliked the Los Angeles-area congressman, who served as the lead impeachment manager in Trump's first Senate trial and was a vocal critic throughout his presidency.
Schiff responded to Trump's comments about him on X, writing, "I don’t think he likes me."
"Steve Garvey’s a nice guy. I don’t know him at all," Trump told reporters. "But if he doesn’t reach out to MAGA he has absolutely no chance."
Schiff is heavily favored to win in the deep blue state that hasn’t had a Republican senator since John Seymor lost his election in 1992.
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The most recent Real Clear Politics polling average has Schiff leading Garvey 57.3% to 33%.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump and Schiff campaigns for comment.
