Trump endorses Kansas hard-liner
Kris Kobach is tough on alleged illegal immigration, voter fraud
President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed Kansas gubernatorial primary candidate Kris Kobach, backing the anti-illegal immigration hardliner who previously served as vice chairwoman of Trump’s now-disbanded voting integrity commission.
In a morning tweet from his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., Trump praised Kobach, Kansas’ secretary of state, as “a strong and early supporter of mine.”
“He is a fantastic guy who loves his State and our Country – he will be a GREAT Governor and has my full & total Endorsement!” Trump said. “Strong on Crime, Border & Military. VOTE TUESDAY!”
Kobach faces six other Republicans in today’s gubernatorial primary; Kobach and incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer are the front-runners.
Kobach has embraced Trump’s policies and his style. The president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has visited Kansas twice to campaign for Kobach.
Kobach has risen to national prominence due to efforts to combat what he alleges is widespread voter fraud and illegal immigration. Yet his efforts have recently hit some speed bumps.
Last month, a judge struck down a strict new law sponsored by Kobach that had required Kansans to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. The judge also ordered Kobach to attend six hours of continuing legal education classes for “repeated and flagrant violations of discovery and disclosure rules.”
A recent report by ProPublica and the Kansas City Star detailed Kobach’s work to craft anti-immigration ordinances for towns across the country — resulting in hefty legal bills for the municipalities while Kobach profited handsomely.
And last week, Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, a member of the voter fraud commission, accused Kobach and the White House of making false statements on the issue and said it appeared the panel had been established not to investigate claims of fraudulent behavior but to validate them.