Former President Donald Trump has officially endorsed a candidate to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT). 

Trump did so in a message that he posted to Truth Social on Saturday, April 28, 2024.

Take a look:

"A total loser"

Trump, in his message, did two things: attacked Romney and endorsed Trent Staggs, the mayor of Riverton, Utah.

"Trent Staggs is 100% MAGA, and is running to fill The Mitt Romney, a Total Loser, Seat as the next Senator from the Great State of Utah!" Trump began.

The former president went on to tout Staggs as "a highly successful entrepreneur, who has served brilliantly as Mayor of Riverton for the past six years."

"Trent knows how to Create Jobs, Stop Inflation, Grow the Economy, and Secure the Border," Trump said.

He concluded, "As your next Senator, Trent will help us Unleash American Energy, Support our Military/Vets, and Protect our always under-siege Second Amendment. Trent Staggs has my Complete and Total Endorsement - He will be a GREAT Senator, and never let you down!"

Background

The retirement of Romney is a significant event in Utah politics, as well as in American politics. Fox News reports:

Trump's endorsement of Staggs came on the same day nearly a dozen Republicans — including former House Speaker Brad Wilson and current Utah Rep. John Curtis — squared off for the party's nomination in a race expected to reveal the brand of political conservatism that most appeals to modern voters in the state.

As you, the reader, probably knows, although Trump and Romney are both Republicans, they could not be any more different in their actual politics. Suffice it to say that Romney has never really supported Trump, and Trump has returned the favor.

Trump, in fact, has to be one of the major reasons why Romney has decided to retire from the Senate. The Guardian, at the time, reported, "On Wednesday, Romney, 76, announced he would not stand for another six-year term as Utah’s senator next year, and made no secret that Trump’s presence at the heart of Republican politics was a factor in his decision."

Trump responded to Romney's retirement announcement by calling it "fantastic news for America, the great state of Utah, and for the Republican Party," adding that Romney "did not service with distinction."

So, Trump was instrumental in Romney's retirement, and now the former president is trying to finish the job by helping the Utah people to select a real Republican to represent them in the U.S. Senate.