Greenville, North Carolina (CNN) Former President Donald Trump on Saturday endorsed Rep. Ted Budd's campaign for Senate in North Carolina, making the surprise announcement just minutes after his daughter-in-law Lara Trump confirmed she would not be entering the Republican primary for the open seat in 2022. This man is a great politician but more importantly, he loves the state of North Carolina," Trump said of Budd while appearing at the state GOP's convention in Greenville. "This gentleman is going to be your next senator," Trump added, offering Budd his "complete and total endorsement." Elected to Congress in 2016, Budd announced in April that he planned to seek the Republican nomination for the Senate seat currently held by retiring three-term Sen. Richard Burr. While the former President praised Budd from the stage, former North Carolina Gov.

Source: CNN June 06, 2021 01:19 UTC