Washington DC - President Donald Trump recently endorsed controversial influencer Brandon Herrera, despite his questionable rhetoric.
In a Truth Social post shared on Wednesday night, the president described Herrera as someone who is "strongly supported" by "Highly Respected MAGA Warriors in Texas," and will "work tirelessly to advance our MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN Agenda."
"Brandon Herrera has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Texas’ 23rd Congressional District," Trump wrote, adding, "HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"
According to The Daily Beast, the endorsement came only a few weeks after Trump sent Herrera a cease-and-desist letter demanding the candidate stop using his image and likeness to gain support.
But the president was forced to backtrack after MAGA Rep. Tony Gonzalez abandoned his campaign for re-election amid a shocking affair scandal, leaving Herrera to win the party's nomination for the seat.
In an X post, Herrera thanked the president and vowed to "take the fight to the Democrats in November and continue working to deliver great wins for TX23 and the rest of the nation."
Brandon Herrera's controversial rhetoric and beliefs
Herrera is a YouTuber who has built a reputation for sharing edgy and controversial content, while critics have deemed his work racist and antisemitic.
In a statement to The Texas Tribune, a spokesperson for the candidate called these accusations "bizarre, desperate, and false" insisted Herrera has "never done or said anything antisemitic," and further praised him for having "simulated the execution and poisoning of Adolf Hitler" as a "historical firearms educator."
Trump's endorsement seemingly embraces Herrera's divisive rhetoric, penchant for conspiracy theories, and even past criticisms of the president and his family.
Following the endorsement, a 2023 video resurfaced on social media showing Herrera sowing doubt about the official report regarding the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and even recreating the fatal shooting of the civil rights leader using a target dummy.
At the end of the segment, Herrera tells viewers, "This is obviously a pretty somber and serious topic, but we're trying to introduce our own dark and edgy humor like we always do."
Herrera has also mocked the president's youngest son Barron, suggesting the 19-year-old is "starting to become a meme" and argued that Trump would lose the 2024 election because he "messed up a lot of stuff as far as like guns and things."