Trump to Endorse Romney
Meanwhile, Santorum picks up a key Tea Party endorsement in Nevada.
| Posted Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, at 1:02 PM
Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images.
UPDATE: The Guardian's tireless coverage of Trump's political party crashing brings us news that Romney's campaign has confirmed he'll appear with Trump at around 3:15 ET today, at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, of course.
That's after the Associated Press and other news outlets had reported that Trump was going to endorse Newt Gingrich. Here's what happened, according to the AP: Gingrich's campaign got a little overconfident and "leaked" that they'd get the endorsement to the press. But now, multiple GOP officials (speaking anonymously) have said Romney's definitely the one receiving Trump's Vegas blessing.
Post Thursday, Feb. 2: This we know: Donald Trump plans to endorse someone in Las Vegas today ahead of Saturday's Nevada caucuses.
This we don't: Who the celebrity businessman will back, Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney.
This we think we know: Despite early reports to the contrary, the Donald is going with the front-runner.
A number of major outlets including the New York Times and the Associated Press were originally reporting that Trump was set to endorse Gingrich. But that story has changed with only hours to go before Trump takes the stage in Sin City, with the Times and others now confirming that he'll back Romney. We'll leave it to you to decide whether Trump had a change of heart or if this is all just an annoying -- yet media-savvy -- publicity stunt.
The Guardian is liveblogging the endorsement, for those of you who need minute-by-minute news on this story.
In other Nevada endorsement developments, Nevada Tea Partier and failed Senate candidate Sharron Angle has endorsed Rick Santorum. She sent a statement to the National Review, reading:
Rick Santorum and I have known each other for years. He is a strong fiscal and social conservative who stands on principles above politics. He has never wavered in his support for family values understanding the impact that strong families have on a prosperous economy. His continuous opposition to Amnesty, Obamacare, the bail-outs, and cap and trade are a perfect fit with our main street Tea Party movement.
As the Washington Post explains, neither endorsement is likely to have any significant impact on the Nevada caucuses. Romney is set to easily take the state, polling at 45 percent right now, with Gingrich in second at 25 percent.
