Trump's Endorsement No Longer Guarantees Victory In GOP

Trump recently gave his endorsement to a Texas candidate for the House, and his PAC even spent a 100 grand to support her -- but she lost. This wasn't the first time. Trump may be losing his iron grip on the party. Is his endorsement no longer the the magic bullet for a Republican candidate?

Here's part of how Steve Benen describes it at MSNBC.com:

Donald Trump last month invested quite a bit of energy into a congressional special election in Texas. The former president had thrown his support behind Susan Wright's Republican candidacy, and as Election Day drew closer, Team Trump seemed awfully eager to carry Wright across the finish line.

Indeed, in the contest's closing days, Trump and his political operation made a late $100,000 ad buy in the district, recorded a robocall from the former president, held two tele-town-hall events, and issued written statements imploring locals to rally behind Wright.

It didn't work. Wright lost by more than six points. . . .

Trump desperately needs his endorsement to be powerful and sought after. He recently commented on the Republicans who beg for in-person meetings, where they plead for his electoral support, marveling at his self-professed power.

"We have had so many, and so many are coming in," Trump said. "It's been pretty amazing. You see the numbers. They need the endorsement. I don't say this in a braggadocious way, but if they don't get the endorsement, they don't win."

But as the Texas race showed, sometimes they get the endorsement and lose anyway. Indeed, Wright wasn't the first and almost certainly won't be the last.

This matters to Trump because the power of his endorsement is supposed to be among the most powerful arrows in his quiver. Republicans are supposed to tremble in fear at the very idea of losing favor with him, because his all-powerful endorsement is the key to unlocking electoral success.

And the more GOP officials and candidates notice that the myth isn't quite true, the less they'll feel the need to bend the knee, kiss the ring, and sacrifice their dignity to satisfy the whims of a failed former one-term president.