Donald Trump trashes "stupid" GOP candidate Joe O'Dea in Colorado - Axios DenverLog InLog InAxios Denver is an Axios company.

Trump trashes GOP Senate candidate Joe O' Dea in Colorado

Former President Trump. Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images Former remained uncharacteristically quiet in Colorado's midterm elections. Until now. Driving the news: He took to social media Monday to trash Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe O'Dea, labeling him a "Republican in name only," and urging followers not to support the contender."MAGA doesn't vote for stupid people with big mouths," Trump on Truth Social. Why it matters: The race is one of the most-watched in the nation and Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet's re-election which major party controls the U.S. Senate.But Republicans can't win in blue-tilting Colorado — where Democrats hold a 3-percentage point, or 125,000 voter, registration advantage — without a unified base and support from a significant number of unaffiliated voters. The backstory: Trump kept his mouth shut in the , despite the candidacy from a loyal supporter, state Rep. Ron Hanks, who went behind police lines at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.O'Dea defeated Hanks in the June primary and from Trump, saying he would support the ex-president's re-election in 2024. But it went largely unnoticed by Trump himself. The intrigue: That changed after O'Dea Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," and mentioned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott as top GOP choices for a presidential bid.Trump's opposition only exacerbates O'Dea's weakness with Republicans. Earlier in the race, O'Dea alienated some in his party by expressing support for same-sex marriage and . Hanks, his former rival, endorsed Libertarian candidate Brian Peotter earlier this month. What he's saying: O'Dea issued a statement saying Trump is "entitled to his opinion, but I'm my own man and I'll call it like I see it."

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