Trump backs Rep. Mike Lawler, calls him a total winner
Trump praises Rep. Mike Lawler of New York after a Fox Business appearance and urges voters to keep the Hudson Valley Republican in Congress.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump endorsed Representative Mike Lawler of New York, a Republican who has held the state’s 17th Congressional District seat in the Hudson Valley since 2023. Trump praised the congressman’s Fox Business appearance and urged that he be kept in Congress.
Trump made the appeal on truthsocial, calling the congressman “fantastic” and a “total winner” as Lawler prepares to defend one of the country’s most closely watched swing seats.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “Congressman Mike Lawler of New York was fantastic on FoxBusiness today. Important that we keep him in Congress. A total winner!!! President DJT” on August 28, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET.
This is Trump’s 4th message released today, and the last post was 33 minutes ago, 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 185 of his 603 posts over the last 30 days classified as Elections posts.
Michael Vincent Lawler is a Republican U.S. Representative for New York’s 17th Congressional District, first elected in 2022 and serving since January 3, 2023, according to cityandstateny. He previously served in the New York State Assembly representing the 97th District and held local and party leadership roles, including Deputy Supervisor of the Town of Orangetown and Executive Director of the New York Republican State Committee, according to cityandstateny. He graduated from Manhattan College with degrees in accounting and finance, according to cityandstateny.
President Donald J. Trump posed at WASHINGTON D.C.
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Lawler’s district covers New York’s Hudson Valley, and his official House website describes him as “Proudly Serving New York’s Hudson Valley,” according to lawler.house.gov. His office reported closing more than 6,000 constituent cases and returning $27.2 million to constituents, according to lawler.house.gov. Lawler also voted to end what his office called the longest government shutdown in American history, according to lawler.house.gov.
The endorsement continues support Trump has shown for the congressman this cycle. Trump visited Rockland County in May to endorse Lawler in the battle for the 17th Congressional District, according to cbsnews. That trip marked the first presidential visit to Rockland County in five decades, according to cbsnews.
Lawler faces a competitive campaign in the fall. The general election is set for November 3, 2026, and he will face Democrat Cait Conley, a combat veteran and former Biden administration national security staffer who won the party’s June primary, according to cbsnews. Conley worked on the National Security Council as director of counterterrorism before entering the race, according to cbsnews.
Lawler is regarded as one of the more vulnerable Republicans in the current cycle, and a bitterly fought Democratic primary in the Hudson Valley determined who would take him on, according to nytimes. Lawler earlier asked a judge to remove a Democrat from the ballot in the 17th Congressional District over alleged petition fraud, according to cbsnews.
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