Trump makes key House GOP endorsement in Alaska after Johnson meeting

Donald Trump just weighed in with another key House endorsement, hours after meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson — a sign of the GOP’s organizing efforts ahead of November.

The former president on Monday endorsed Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, a top House GOP recruit in one of their top target seats this fall. It’s welcome news for Johnson and House Republicans, who are hoping to avoid a disastrous repeat of two years ago, when Democrat Mary Peltola won the seat as two of their own battled it out under the ranked choice system.

It would be a key pickup for Republicans: Nick Begich, from a family of famous Democrats, helped cost the GOP control of the seat in a 2022 special election. This cycle, he's running again, this time against Dahlstrom. GOP leaders hope Trump's nod will be enough to put Dahlstrom over the finish line in the upcoming primary, since Begich has said he will drop out if he loses, rather than run again and try his chances in ranked choice.

The Mar-a-Lago meeting — Johnson’s second in a week with the former president, and one which also included NRCC Chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) — ended with a thumbs up and a photo op. Trump has already played kingmaker in many GOP contests this year. But this sitdown shows that party leaders are working toward even more collaboration as the election approaches.

“Our Party is united, and working together, I am confident we will send President Trump back to the White House, win back the Senate, and grow our House Republican majority!” Johnson wrote on social media.

Just last week, Trump told a crowd of House Republicans that he would devote his own time to keeping their majority in November. While Republicans are optimistic about flipping the Senate and hopeful about winning the White House, the battle for the House is expected to be tougher. Trump, though, vowed to do 100 virtual town halls with GOP members ahead of the election.