Oct. 8, 2021: Will endorsement-happy Trump cost GOP the Senate?

A shouting match erupted on the Senate floor after the vote to delay the debt limit crisis for two months. Sens. John Thune and Mitt Romney confronted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer after he lambasted Republicans in a floor speech right after the vote.

And, it’s no secret that Trump’s endorsements have been impulsive, and it looks like he jumped the gun again by giving an early nod to Sean Parnell in the open Pennsylvania Senate race. Republicans we talked to in Washington and Trump-world are clearly worried since the news broke this week that Parnell requested a gag order on his estranged wife Laurie and her lawyer during their custody battle. Shortly after Trump endorsed Parnell in September, rival Jeff Bartos revealed that Parnell’s wife filed two protective orders against him in 2017 and 2018. Both were expunged, but some Republicans worry that there may be more shoes to drop.

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Raghu Manavalan is the host of POLITICO's Playbook.
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