GALLATIN, Tenn. — Donald Trump Jr. hit the campaign trail in Tennessee to help Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty tout the endorsement of his father, President Donald Trump.
Tuesday’s visit to Gallatin by President Trump’s oldest son and former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle marked the first big headliners to fly in for Hagerty. The Nashville businessman served as the ambassador to Japan under President Trump.
In fact, it was President Trump who officially announced Hagerty would be launching a bid for the open Tennessee U.S. Senate seat in July 2019.
“Tennessee loving Bill Hagerty, who was my Tennessee (Victory) Chair and is now the very outstanding Ambassador to Japan, will be running for the U.S. Senate,” tweeted President Trump at the time.
In October, Hagerty praised President Trump for his handling of the economy and the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during a regional meeting of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Memphis. At the time he also called the impeachment process the Democrats’ effort to “repeal the results” of the 2016 election.
Hagerty’s top primary opponent is another Trump backer, Nashville trauma surgeon Manny Sethi.
They are both vying for the seat of Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, who is retiring at the end of his term.
Republicans have held both Senate seats in Tennessee since 1994.