Starting the new year, the second-ranked Republican in the House endorsed former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) announced his stance on Tuesday, two weeks before Iowa GOP caucuses kick off the primary season, as Trump continues to dominate in the polls.
“I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2024, and I look forward to working with President Trump and a Republican House and Senate to fight for those families who are struggling under the weight of [President Joe] Biden’s failed policies,” Scalise said in a post to X.
Trump has accrued more than 90 endorsements in the GOP-led House, along with 18 senators and seven governors, according to The Hill’s tracker as of the end of last year. The numbers put Trump well ahead of his remaining Republican rivals.
With his pick, Scalise joins other members of leadership in the lower chamber in rallying around Trump, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY). He has supported Trump dating back to the 2016 election.
Scalise was first elected to the House in 2008 after serving in the Louisiana State Legislature for more than a decade. He was seriously wounded during a shooting at a congressional baseball practice in the summer of 2017 but managed to recover, continue serving in Congress, and even participate in future congressional baseball games.
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Last fall, Scalise ran an unsuccessful bid to become House speaker. At the time, Trump said he liked Scalise as well as Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) “very much,” but he raised concerns about Scalise’s bout with cancer. “He’s got to get better for himself,” Trump told Fox News radio host Brian Kilmeade. Trump endorsed Jordan, who also failed to achieve victory.
Trump is running for a second presidential term, potentially setting up a 2020 general election rematch against Biden, as he faces a slew of criminal cases and ballot access issues. National polls show Trump as the clear frontrunner in a wide but shrinking GOP field.
Other major GOP candidates still in the race for the presidency include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson.