Trump Endorses Yet Another Candidate Facing Abuse Allegations

This sounds familiar.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed a GOP candidate who’s facing child abuse allegations, the latest time he’s backed an ally in spite of allegations against them.

Trump endorsed Monica De La Cruz on Thursday morning, backing the GOP’s favored candidate in the only swing seat on Texas’ new House map. But she comes with some baggage.

De La Cruz and her husband Johnny Hernandez are divorcing, and he has accused her in court of “cruel and aggressive conduct” toward his 14-year-old daughter, including pinching her and verbal abuse. De La Cruz has denied her estranged husband’s allegations.

The allegations didn’t scare off Trump.

“A successful small businesswoman, Monica will fight hard to grow our economy, secure our border, uphold the rule of law, support our military and vets, and defend the Second Amendment,” Trump said in a statement. “Monica has my complete and total endorsement!”

This isn’t the first time Trump has backed an alleged abuser. 

Trump endorsed Pennsylvania Senate candidate Sean Parnell last year. But Parnell later dropped out of the race after his estranged wife accused him in court of strangling her and hitting their children, and a judge awarded her sole custody.

Trump also supported Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore in 2017 even after the rest of the GOP walked away from him over claims that he’d sexually assaulted a teenager. Now, the former president is currently supporting his former White House aide Max Miller in a House campaign even though Miller’s ex-girlfriend, fellow former White House staffer Stephanie Grisham, accused him of physically and emotionally abusing her. Parnell, Moore, and Miller all deny the allegations against them.

And of course, Trump has faced more than two dozen public accusations of sexual misconduct himself.

Trump isn’t the only big-name Republican in her corner. She has the endorsement of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and the National Republican Congressional Committee has heavily promoted her candidacy.