President Donald Trump has offered an endorsement in race to represent Tennessee’s 5th District in Congress.
Former spokesperson for the United States Department of State, Morgan Ortagus, is reportedly weighing a run. Sources tell The Tennessee Star Ortagus moved to Tennessee after her service in the Trump administration. She joined Nashville-based Rubicon Founders in February 2021.
President Trump said in a emailed statement:
I am told the very strong and impressive Morgan Ortagus is exploring a run for Congress in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. I couldn’t be happier because she’s an absolute warrior for America First and MAGA! Morgan was fantastic in her role working with Secretary Mike Pompeo at the U.S. State Department and understands the threats posed by China, Russia, Iran and others, and will be tough, not just roll over like the Democrats and RINOs. She serves in the U.S. Navy Reserves and will fight for our Military. She won’t bow to the Woke Mob or the Leftist LameStream Media. Morgan Ortagus will have my Complete and Total Endorsement if she decides to run!
The Daily Wire reports that “A top source close to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)” is saying that President Trump’s praise means that Ortagus is now the “runaway” favorite. A tweet revealed that Morgan Ortagus was at Mar-a-Lago this past weekend.
Morgan Deann Ortagus, an officer in the United States Navy Reserve, served as spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 2019 to 2021. She previously held several government positions including Deputy Treasury Attaché and Intelligence Analyst at the United States Department of the Treasury and Public Affairs Officer at USAID. Ortagus also worked as national a security contributor at Fox News before becoming a State Department spokesperson.
Ortagus has yet to announce her plans publicly and an FEC search does not yet yield any filings as of Tuesday night.
Earlier Tuesday, incumbent Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) announced he decided against running for re-election in large part due to the redistricting maps making the new 5th District unwinnable for him, in his opinion. It is widely believed that the new maps make the 5th Congressional District much more favorable territory for a Republican nominee.
Odessa Kelly is a publicly announced candidate in the Democrat primary for the 5th, while Robby Starbuck, Natisha Brooks, and Quincy McKnight have publicly announced on the Republican side. Other candidates may still come forward.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
[…] 26, 2022 – Former President Donald Trump announced his endorsement of Morgan Ortagus for the now open TN-5 seat, just two months after she registered to vote in […]
[…] are important to her campaign, as well as endorsers of her campaign that include former President Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former Ambassador to Germany Ric […]
[…] President Trump clearly didn’t hold those comments against Morgan Ortagus as she went on to serve in the Trump administration for two years, and now Ortagus has President Trump’s endorsement. […]
[…] former spokeswoman for Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, who President Donald J. Trump endorsed for her possible run for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, co-wrote a September 7, 2016 “Marie Claire” […]
[…] in the Trump Administration as a spokesman for the State Department from 2019 to 2021. It was also reported that President Trump issued the following statement on Morgan Ortagus’ potential […]
i read so much on here about rinos. may i suggest next election you just stay home or vote for the democrat. choose wisely.
Ms Ortagus association with Obama in any capacity tells me all I need to know. There are three other Actual Tennesseans that are in contention for the race in this office. Too soon to endorse any candidate until closer to the primary.
Frankly, President Trump (or more likely some of his “people”) don’t know squat about what Tennessee and the newly carved out 5th District needs or doesn’t need!
One thing that we definitely don’t need are any “top source close to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy” telling us who or what we need! McCarthy embodies the “establishment” Swamp that President Trump claims to want to drain. These establishment hacks are dragging President Trump and us down with him!
Plus, read her bio in the attached link, she’s a healthcare investment “globalist”, which means more mask mandates, more vaccine mandates and more government intrusions into our civil rights! NO THANKS!
While I haven’t always been in agreement with President Trump’s endorsements and cringed at his tweets, I’ve always agreed with his policies. Seeing how Ortagus worked within him in his administration, I’d say that’s a pretty good sign. But the people of that district she may be running for will have to vet her more thoroughly.
Also, when Trump says things like, “not just roll over like the Democrats and RINOs,” this tells me he recognizes the problem and is willing to call out the Elephant in the room. Words I’ve never heard from Marsha Empty Suit Blackburn as a Representative or Senator.
I agree John! Marsha broke her promises to Tennesseans and Kept her promise to support RINO McConnell!
I, like you John, am not a Trumpidian and I wish he would just go away though, of course, I will doubtlessly vote for him if he is the Republican nominee in 2024. What I am, however, is a conservative so I am well to the right of Trump. All too often Trump’s endorsements are based on personal connection and devotion to Trump because Trump most certainly is a Trumpidian. What has Ortagus ever said or done that gives conservatives any assurance of how she will vote in the U.S. House? U. S. Congressman is an awfully high office for someone who never cast a public vote in any elective office before.
On the other hand, is there an informed conservative in the new Fifth District who is unaware of Andy Ogles’ positions on public policy over the past decade which I assume has been reflected in office as Maury County Mayor? Even Beth Harwell has a solid mainstream conservative American Conservative Union score of 86%. A solid proven conservative record is what we need in a candidate for high office like U. S. Representative rather than a just a record of fealty to Donald Trump.
Beth Harwell did nothing to support conservatives in Davidson county. She is a RINO that protected Nancy Pelosi living shin Cooper with the last redistricting. Cameron Sexton is a much stronger conservative leader! Beth found out how Poplar her position in the gop primary for Governor! Beth is a Little Bob Corker RINO!!
I don’t “cringe at his tweets” because they were truth and fighting back against the fake news + establishment. I LOVE President Trump – his tweets and his policies … but this endorsement … ???
Her record is GOPe at best. Her dealings with Dems make her questionable at best.
I say “at best” to give her the benefit of the doubt only due to President Trump’s endorsement.
I live in this district and have never seen her at Any GOP events or doing anything for or with the GOP in our area.
She moved here mere months ago … sketchy. And I say that as someone who is open minded about Starbuck only living here for a short time. But he has been involved and active. Others who will be announcing shortly have been here and involved for years. The first I and 99.9% of the GOP in the area have heard of her is this endorsement. Why?!
She has my vote! I hope she will run in a primary and defeat RINO Marsha Blackburn! weak Marsha and Dizzy Bill Hagerty broke their promises to Tennesseans and Kept their Promise to RINO Mitch McConnell! They both turned their back on Tennesseans when the failed to support the Ted Cruz act of voter integrity. Marsha has been in Washington since 2003! Time to retire Marsha! She has not supported a balanced budget as Tennessee has for the federal Government!
A) Senator Blackburn is not up for election until 2024
B) Marsha Blackburn is a US Senator from Tennessee Not a US Congresswomen from the 5th District
C) Neither Blackburn nor Hagerty have anything to do with this TN’s 5th Congressional district race other than they may endorse and they will certainly vote in the 2022 election.
Commenter Nancy displays the power of a Trump Endorsement. Gets the full attention of those who don’t have the time to be fully informed on the issues and other candidates.
In the rough and tumble worlds of politics perspective is so important. I, like you Nancy judge members of the legislature by their voting records. I am a conservative, so to me the Heritage and Club For Growth scores legislators have is a pretty good indication over a broad range of issues just how conservative a legislator has been. Marsha’s lifetime Heritage and Club scores are 87% and 89% respectively. Bill Hagerty presently carries a Heritage score of 94%. For perspective, and just to show you how lucky we are, look at the following scores of some of the luminaries that currently lead the Republican Party in Congress:
Mitch McConnell 64%/74%, John Thune 66%/72%, Kevin McCarthy 60%/70%, Steve Scalise 76%/80%, Linsey Graham 59%/67% ….
I could go on to show you the utter worthlessness of the leadership of today’s Republican Party but you get the idea. Now if Marsha and Bill are “RINO’s” what are all those tepid conservatives/centrists to the left of our two Senators? “RINOS SQUARED?”
How about “RINOS TO THE SECOND/THIRD POWER?”
This year we are getting much needed retirements from the U.S. Senate of four worthless Republican senators and hopefully you will join me in financially supporting conservative candidates seeking to take their place. In the meantime, perhaps as an act of self-discipline you will impose on yourself a month-long moratorium on the use of the acronym “RINO.”
Yes! I Will support the real conservatives! I agree the senate Rinos are retiring! Why does RINO Marsha and Dizzy Bill Hagerty cast their first votes for Mitch McConnell as their senate gop leader! Please ask them to explain their support!!
Perhaps I know. As currently constituted the majority of Republican Senators in Washington are centrists/tepid conservatives even from places that you would think should do much better (e.g. Mississippi’s Cindy Smith (71%/56%) & Roger Wicker 62%/66%). At the very least you don’t have anywhere near a conservative majority in the Republican caucus to elect conservative leaders. If you’re going to try to overthrow leaders in any legislature you better be reasonably certain to succeed or at the very least come close with sufficient numbers or you can look forward to spending time in your tiny basement office when you’re off the floor and in things like the Fishery and Housekeeping Committees with no influence when you come out for air. No sense for Marsha and Bill to participate in a “no-chance” revolt just yet which will accomplish nothing but diminish their political influence.
With four worthless Republican Senators retiring, Lisa Murkowski (38%/51%) facing a serious challenge and much more conservative replacements lining up to take their place it is the job for all of us to help take a big step in changing the
ideological makeup of the Republican caucus in the Senate in 2022. If we are successful, THEN we will eventually get to see what Marsha and Bill do about changing the Senate’s Republican leadership when the time is right.