Minnesota GOP Rep. Tom Emmer endorses Trump for president

Minnesota U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer endorsed Donald Trump's bid for president on Wednesday ahead of Republicans' first nominating contest in Iowa.

The endorsement from Emmer, the House Majority Whip and third-ranking Republican, comes after Trump and his allies helped torpedo his brief bid to become speaker of the U.S. House, calling Emmer a "globalist RINO" — Republican in name only — in a statement in October.

In a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, Emmer said it's now time for Republicans to unite around Trump's candidacy.

"Democrats have made clear they'll use every tool in their arsenal to try and keep Joe Biden and his failed policies in power. We cannot let them," Emmer posted. "It's time for Republicans to unite behind our party's clear frontrunner, which is why I'm proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for president."

House Republicans are starting to coalesce around the former president. Minnesota GOP U.S. Reps. Pete Stauber, Michelle Fischbach and Brad Finstad joined Emmer in endorsing Trump on Wednesday.

"Joe Biden's failed policies have left Minnesotans to grapple with double digit inflation, higher taxes, and a border crisis that has turned every community into a border community," they wrote in a joint statement. "Minnesotans and all Americans deserve better. It is time for Republicans to come together in support of a leader who has what it takes to get our country back on track. We stand together to endorse Donald J. Trump for president."

Stauber, who is in his third term representing northeastern Minnesota's Eighth District in Congress, said Trump helped the region by supporting domestic mining and manufacturing jobs as president. "Donald Trump will finish what he started and will get our country back on track," he said in his own statement.

DFL Party Chair Ken Martin said state Republicans will have to answer to voters next fall for "kissing Donald Trump's ring."

"Minnesota Republicans are now openly admitting what has been obvious for a while — they have become the party of, by, and for Donald Trump," Martin said in a statement. "Minnesota voters have repeatedly rejected Donald Trump's anti-democracy, anti-abortion politics and his plans to take away working families' health insurance, but Minnesota Republicans are doubling down."

Emmer's endorsement means Trump has the full backing of GOP leadership in the House going into the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15. Trump is leading all other Republican presidential candidates in the polls.

Current and former Govs. Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson are also running for the Republican nomination, as well as tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Emmer supported Trump's bids for president in 2016 and 2020 and didn't vote for either impeachment effort against the former president. But he voted to certify the 2020 presidential election following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, breaking with some Trump backers in his party.

Trump and his allies attacked Emmer's conservative credentials after he became the third person nominated by his party in October to replace ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

"He is totally out-of-touch with Republican Voters," Trump posted then on Truth Social. "I believe he has now learned his lesson, because he is saying that he is Pro-Trump all the way, but who can ever be sure?"

Some Republicans also criticized Emmer's votes in favor of raising the debt ceiling and supporting marriage equality at the federal level. Emmer has represented central Minnesota's Sixth District in Congress since 2015 and spent two cycles as chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee.