Trump congratulates ‘special guy’ Barletta on win in Pennsylvania

President Trump gave his congratulations to Rep. Lou Barletta on Wednesday for winning his GOP Senate primary in Pennsylvania, calling him a “special guy” who will help his agenda. 

“Congratulations to Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania. He will be a great Senator and will represent his people well – like they haven’t been represented in many years,” Trump tweeted. “Lou is a friend of mine and a special guy, he will very much help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Congratulations to Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania. He will be a great Senator and will represent his people well – like they haven’t been represented in many years. Lou is a friend of mine and a special guy, he will very much help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2018

Barletta, an early supporter of Trump, defeated state Rep. Jim Christiana on Tuesday night to gain the party nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr. in November.{mosads}

Trump and the Pennsylvania GOP both endorsed Barletta, who has served in Congress since 2011. The president even recorded a last-minute robocall for the candidate, praising his tough stance on immigration and support for the GOP tax bill that passed late last year. 

Polls suggest Barletta faces an uphill challenge to defeat Casey, though Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016.