Trump Endorses Griffith for Re-Election Ahead of Virginia Primary

Trump gives Rep. Morgan Griffith his complete endorsement in Virginia's 9th District, urging voters to the polls on Election Day, Tuesday, August 4.

First Published: August 3, 2026, 2:34 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump threw his full weight behind Rep. Morgan Griffith, the Republican who has represented Virginia’s 9th Congressional District since 2011, urging voters to back the incumbent one day before the primary.

The endorsement lands as Virginia’s primary calendar closes, with early voting ending on August 1, 2026, and Election Day set for Tuesday, August 4, 2026, according to swampthevoteusa. Griffith won his last race in 2024 with 72.5% of the vote against Democrat Karen Baker, according to wikipedia.org.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Congressman Morgan Griffith is a Fantastic Advocate for Virginia’s 9th Congressional District! As a Member of the POWERFUL House Energy and Commerce Committee, Morgan is working tirelessly to Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Champion our Nation’s Golden Age. He is also relentlessly focused on helping us Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Incredible Military/Veterans, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment. Morgan Griffith has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election. Election Day is Tuesday, August 4th. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR MORGAN – HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! Find your Voting Location here: https://swampthevoteusa.com/virginia/” on August 3, 2026 at 6:25 PM ET.

This is Trump’s 25th message released today, and the last post came moments earlier, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 88 of his 481 posts over the last 30 days classified as Elections posts.

Trump directed supporters to a voter-turnout page run by the Republican National Committee, telling readers to find their voting location. The page lists the primary timeline, noting early voting started on June 19, 2026, and the mail-in ballot request deadline fell on July 24, 2026, according to swampthevoteusa. Trump pointed followers to the resource by mentioning the source (see swampthevoteusa).

Griffith sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, serving on its subcommittees for Energy, Health, and Oversight and Investigations, according to house.gov. He is a member of the House Freedom Caucus and previously served as majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, the first Republican to hold that post in the state’s history, according to wikipedia.org.

The stakes reach beyond a single district. The 9th covers most of rural Southwest Virginia, including the New River Valley and the coalfields, a region where energy policy carries direct weight for jobs and household costs. A Griffith victory keeps a senior committee voice for the district. A loss would strip the area of that seniority.

The endorsement follows a long history between the two men. Griffith first won the seat in 2010 by less than 5% over 13-term Democrat Rick Boucher, then widened his margins to 61.3% in 2012 and 68.59% in 2016, according to wikipedia.org. He ran unopposed in 2020, taking 94.39% of the vote.

This is not the first time Trump has intervened in a Virginia race. He has issued waves of primary endorsements across House districts since 2016, using his platform to consolidate Republican support before ballots close.

Virginia voters will render the next decision on Griffith’s candidacy on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, when polls open for the primary. A general election matchup and its date would follow later in the cycle.

Endorsements from a party’s standard-bearer carry a long lineage in American politics, as happened before. Theodore Roosevelt, after leaving the White House in 1909, campaigned for handpicked Republicans and split the party by 1912. His Bull Moose run drew 27% of the vote and handed the presidency to Woodrow Wilson, according to house.gov. The episode showed that a former president’s backing can reshape a race yet still divide the coalition it aims to unite.