MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty is not wavering from his staunch support of President Donald Trump, defending him from Democrats’ impeachment efforts while heaping praise on the president for his handling of the economy and the killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Hagerty spoke Tuesday at a regional meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Memphis. The former U.S. ambassador in Japan is seeking the Republican nomination in the race to replace Sen. Lamar Alexander, who is retiring.
Trump has endorsed Hagerty, a businessman and former Tennessee economic development chief who has never been elected to public office. Hagerty, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and other conservative leaders spoke at the conference.
Hagerty said the impeachment push is Democrats’ efforts to “repeal the results” of 2016′s election.