A victory by Mr. Blankenship would be highly embarrassing to Mr. Trump, coming on the heels of his inability to lift party nominees in Pennsylvania this year and in Alabama in December. In a wide-ranging call with Mr. McConnell on Sunday that was initiated by Mr. Trump, the president indicated he was willing to weigh in on the race. As a result, administration officials were not fully certain what Mr. Trump would do about the West Virginia race until the early morning tweet. PhotoThough Mr. Trump willingly intervened in the primary contest, some West Wing aides believe that the fight is more about Mr. McConnell, the majority leader, than the president. The attacks sent Mr. Blankenship’s poll numbers tumbling, but with Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Morrisey dividing votes, he has remained in contention.

Source: New York Times May 07, 2018 13:40 UTC