GOP candidate’s ad implies he has support of Trump

A South Florida Republican congressional candidate falsely suggested he has support from President Donald Trump in an advertising mailer he sent to primary voters.

Javier Manjarres’ mailer to Republicans in the Broward-Palm Beach County 22nd Congressional District has a big picture of Trump wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and giving a thumbs-up sign. In quotation marks next to the picture of Trump is the quote: “Javier embodies #MAGA.”

It leaves the impression that Trump said those words about Manjarres. He didn’t.

Since he became a congressional candidate in April, Manjarres has directed dozens of praisefilled tweets toward Trump, but he’s never gotten back the supportive response he was seeking.

Manjarres took the alternative route of sending out the campaign mailer to voters suggesting he has presidential support.

“It’s definitely misleading,” said Eddison Walters, one of the other two candidates in the Aug. 28 primary for the Republican nomination to run against U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-West Boca. The third Republican is Nicolas Kimaz.

Manjarres said he wasn’t attempting to deceive anyone. “No, it’s not. It’s an endorsement from Matt Gaetz. It’s not an endorsement from the president.”

A careful reader who flips over the mailer and examines the other side might be able to figure that out.