Former President Donald Trump criticized Maryland Governor Larry Hogan on the eve of Tuesday’s Maryland GOP primary, calling him a RINO because he implemented statewide lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hogan who is at the two-term limit has endorsed Kelly Schulz to run for governor. Trump has endorsed Dan Cox.
Trump made a statement on the Maryland primary
“Maryland, tomorrow is a big day. Get out and vote for Dan Cox for Governor … Get rid of Shutdown RINO Larry Hogan who is trying to get another RINO into office, Kelly Schulz.”
Trump’s conclusion:
“Dan Cox will be a great Governor … Tomorrow is the day. Get out and vote!”
Cox has previously butted heads with Hogan during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically about the state’s pandemic stay-at-home order, as he filed a lawsuit and filed a resolution of impeachment. The governor was accused of violating resident rights.
Schulz, the complete opposite of Cox, served as a longtime ally of Hogan, serving as the governor’s Labor and Commerce secretary. Her previous duties included state delegate.
Robin Ficker, a former Maryland state delegate is running for the GOP governoral primary.
Hogan, who is called out, has suggested that Hogan might run for President. Hogan believes he can win Maryland and in other states Trump lost in 2020.
Appearing with Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Hogan said:
“I’ve been talking about this for years now, and I felt like I was on a lifeboat all by myself. But now we need a bigger boat because more and more people are speaking out every day … I said Trump’s influence on the party was going to diminish over time. It hasn’t happened rapidly, but it has diminished dramatically … It’s just taking longer than it should.”
Hogan thinks he can win the primary with moderate Republicans and conservatives as well as those looking for an alternate option. Although it is still unclear how the field in 2024 will look, there are significant differences between Trump and Hogan. If they decide to run for office in 2024, the debates are worth watching.