Trump Rescinds Endorsement of 'Pastors for Trump' Founder

One day he was runoff-bound; the next, he was out. Oklahoma pastor and Trump-backed congressional hopeful Jackson Lahmeyer abruptly suspended his House campaign Wednesday, less than 24 hours after securing a spot in a GOP runoff, citing a desire not to be a "distraction" as questions mounted about his relationship with a former staffer, the Washington Post reports.

• Lahmeyer, a married megachurch leader and founder of "Pastors for Trump," had faced scrutiny since the Daily Mail published text messages suggesting an improper relationship with a woman who had served as a campaign fundraiser. He acknowledged "crossing a boundary line through text messaging" but called the coverage a "distorted story from a British Tabloid."

In a statement, Lahmeyer said he doesn't "want to be a distraction to my family, my church, and the great people of Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District, who deserve a strong conservative voice representing them in Washington." He said he had made the decision to suspend his campaign after "prayerful consideration" with his wife and his team. Lahmeyer finished second in Tuesday's primary with 26% of the vote, behind state Rep. Mark Tedford's 32%; his exit clears the field for Tedford in the race to replace Rep. Kevin Hern, who is running for Senate. Tedford, now the presumptive nominee, is expected to win the heavily Republican Tulsa-area district, the New York Times reports.

Lahmeyer's statement came just minutes after President Trump rescinded his endorsement, the AP reports. Trump endorsed Lahmeyer last month, calling him a "very successful Pastor, Businessman, and Civic Leader," but on Wednesday, he shifted his support to Tedford.

• "I greatly appreciate Jackson Lahmeyer's hard work under difficult circumstances," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "He has always been with me, and I will always be with him. But, when it comes to the current Congressional race for Oklahoma's 1st Congressional District, I will be supporting America First Patriot, Mark Tedford. Mark is Pro Trump and MAGA all the way!"