Trump Endorses Baumgartner for Re-Election Ahead of Washington Primary

Trump backs Rep. Michael Baumgartner for re-election in Washington's 5th District, urging voters to turn out before the state's Aug. 4 primary election.

First Published: August 3, 2026, 2:37 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump endorsed Representative Michael Baumgartner, the freshman Republican from Washington State’s 5th Congressional District, for re-election one day before the state’s primary.

Baumgartner, serving his first term after winning the seat in 2024, ran on farm policy, tax cuts, energy production and border security, according to house.gov. The endorsement landed as Washington voters prepared for a primary election that closes on Aug. 4, 2026.

“Michael Baumgartner has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election,” Trump wrote, calling the congressman a “distinguished and Highly Respected” lawmaker who would “NEVER LET YOU DOWN.”

The backing signals Trump’s continued grip on Republican primary contests, where his endorsement remains among the most sought-after assets in a party still shaped by his influence.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Congressman Michael Baumgartner is an incredible Representative of Washington’s 5th Congressional District! Michael served as the Treasurer of Spokane County for six years prior to becoming a distinguished and Highly Respected Congressman. In Congress, he is working hard to Champion our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment. Michael Baumgartner has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election. Election Day is Tuesday, August 4th. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR MICHAEL – HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! Find your Voting Location here: https://swampthevoteusa.com/washington/” on August 3, 2026 at 6:27 PM ET.

This is Trump’s 22nd message released today, and the last post was 1 minute 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 77 of his 455 posts over the last 30 days classified as Elections posts.

Baumgartner represents the largest district in Washington by area, stretching from Canada to Oregon and Idaho across twelve counties, according to house.gov. He earned an economics degree from Washington State University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University. Before Congress, he served as a Washington State Senator, a U.S. State Department officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 2007 to 2008, and as Treasurer of Spokane County, according to house.gov.

Trump also directed supporters to a Republican National Committee turnout page by mentioning the source (see swampthevoteusa). The site lists early voting starting July 17, 2026, and Primary Election Day on Aug. 4, 2026, according to swampthevoteusa.com. Washington uses a top-two primary system in which the two leading candidates advance regardless of party.

The stakes reach beyond a single House seat. A Baumgartner win would strengthen the Republican bench in a district Democrats have targeted, while a loss would test the durability of Trump’s endorsement in a Western state where mail-in voting dominates.

This has happened before. Trump issued waves of primary endorsements across the 2018, 2020 and 2022 cycles. Candidates carrying his backing won most contested Republican primaries in each, cementing his role as the party’s chief kingmaker.

Washington voters will decide the next step at the polls, with the primary closing on Aug. 4, 2026. Voters must return ballots by that date, according to swampthevoteusa.com.

Presidential endorsements in Washington primaries carry a long and mixed history, stretching well beyond the current era. In 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt swept Washington’s Republican presidential preference contest, defeating incumbent William Howard Taft by a wide margin before bolting to form the Progressive Party. Roosevelt’s insurgency split the Republican vote that November and handed the White House to Democrat Woodrow Wilson, a reminder that even a commanding primary showing can reshape a party’s fortunes in ways its architect never intended.