Trump: Cameron lost because he couldn’t shake McConnell ‘stench’

Former President Trump attributed Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s (R) loss in the state’s gubernatorial race to his association with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), rather than himself.

“Daniel Cameron lost because he couldn’t alleviate the stench of Mitch McConnell,” Trump asserted in a Truth Social post Wednesday. “I told him early that’s a big burden to overcome.”

Trump had endorsed Cameron for governor and claimed credit for “a huge surge” in support for the Republican’s bid just days before the Tuesday election, when Cameron was defeated by incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear (D).

The former president had posted Saturday that Cameron “has made a huge surge, now that they see my strong Endorsement, and the fact that he’s not really ‘a McConnell guy.'”

“They only try to label him that because he comes from the Great State of Kentucky,” wrote Trump, who often criticizes McConnell.

Although Beshear had strong approval ratings and was polling ahead of his GOP challenger, Cameron had the backing of Trump and came close to tying the incumbent Democrat in a recent poll. Cameron was also a favorite of McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). 

“I moved him up 25 Points, but the McConnell relationship was ‘too much to bear,’” Trump posted Wednesday.

In his victory speech late Tuesday, Beshear targeted both McConnell and Paul. He told supporters to “look at what we were up against,” pointing to spending from groups affiliated with Cameron, McConnell, Paul and others.

“And you know what? We beat ‘em all at the same time,” Beshear said.