Trump Endorses Capito for Re-Election in West Virginia Senate Race

Trump backs Senator Shelley Moore Capito for another term, praising her energy agenda as chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

First Published: August 3, 2026, 12:19 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump endorsed Senator Shelley Moore Capito, the senior United States senator from West Virginia and chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, for re-election.

The endorsement leans on Trump’s political dominance in the state, which he carried in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, and ties Capito’s candidacy to an energy and economic agenda. Capito was first elected to the Senate in 2014, becoming the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from West Virginia.

“Senator Shelley Moore Capito has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — SHE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” Trump said in the post.

The backing arrives as Republicans defend a Senate majority and as coal-state energy policy remains a defining fault line for West Virginia voters, connecting a local race to a national fight over regulation and jobs.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Senator Shelley Moore Capito is doing a tremendous job representing the Wonderful People of West Virginia, a State I love and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024! As the Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Shelley is working to advance Pro Growth policies, unleash America’s Energy Dominance, and prioritize Clean Air, Clean Water, Clean Soil, and BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL for ALL Americans. Shelley is fighting tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Secure the Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Great Military/Vets, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment. Senator Shelley Moore Capito has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — SHE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” on August 3, 2026 at 4:05 PM ET.

This is Trump’s 6th message released today, and the last post was 25 minutes ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 66 of his 441 posts over the last 30 days classified as Elections posts.

Capito’s record supplies the substance behind the endorsement. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years and in the West Virginia House of Delegates for four years before entering the Senate, according to naco.org. She has chaired the Environment and Public Works Committee since 2025 and is the dean of West Virginia’s congressional delegation.

The stakes reach beyond one state. An endorsement from Trump in West Virginia carries unusual weight, given his margins there, and it discourages primary challenges while signaling to donors and party operatives where national resources should flow. Voters who prioritize coal and fossil-fuel jobs stand to gain a continued advocate on the committee that oversees environmental regulation, while critics of coal expansion see a durable obstacle.

West Virginia now anchors one of the most Republican electorates in presidential politics, a sharp reversal from its long Democratic history. Capito won her first Senate race with more than 62 percent of the vote and carried all 55 counties, the largest margin of victory for a Republican in state history, according to naco.org.

This has happened before. Trump has issued waves of early endorsements to sitting Republican senators, using his standing with the party base to clear fields and reward loyalty ahead of midterm and cycle contests.

West Virginia voters will render the next decision at the ballot box, with the state’s 2026 general election falling on November 3, 2026, and primary balloting scheduled earlier in the year.

West Virginia has long been a proving ground for shifting political loyalties, as happened before. The state backed Democratic presidential nominees in most elections from 1932 through 1996, according to ballotpedia.org, then swung decisively Republican after 2000. Capito herself broke a barrier in 2000 by becoming the first Republican to represent West Virginia in Congress in nearly two decades, a shift that reshaped the delegation her family had long served.