From left to right, dermatologist and former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Dr. Jeffrey Gunter, former President Trump and former U.S. Army Capt. Sam Brown. (State Department/Getty Images/Sam Brown for Nevada)
A separate group of Trump insiders backing Brown is challenging that notion, telling Fox the pro-Gunter faction is "lying" about Brown's perceived "disloyalty" and that the former president will "likely" back him ahead of the primary, potentially at his Las Vegas rally on Sunday.
"Sam Brown is not seen as a loyal America First fighter," one source close to Trump's family and his campaign told Fox. "He's not seen as a loyal ally to President Trump. That's something I've definitely heard multiple times. I wouldn't go so far as to say there is any fierce hatred of him, but he's not seen as a strong America First fighter."
"The president has endorsed in all of these races, and in this one he hasn't, so it's not all that hard to read between the lines here," the source said, pointing to the timing of Brown's endorsement of Trump, as well as an interview with Punchbowl News published the day after Trump's indictment in Fulton County, Georgia, last August in which Brown declined to say whether he was "comfortable" sharing the Republican ticket with the former president.
Nevada's Republican primary is the only battleground Senate race that the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is backing Brown, has weighed in on where Trump has so far declined to endorse a candidate. Trump endorsed Montana's Tim Sheehy, Ohio's Bernie Moreno and Michigan's Mike Rogers all before their respective primaries.
Trump endorsed Nevada Republican John Lee, a candidate for the U.S. House, on Monday. A day after the endorsement, he posted a video on Truth Social encouraging Nevadans to vote next week but notably made no mention of Brown or Gunter.
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Former U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Dr. Jeff Gunter speaks with Roll Call at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada, on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
"If he does endorse, I think he would endorse Jeff. I think, at this point, the NRSC has pushed so hard for him to endorse Sam, but he hasn't done it, and there's a reason for that," one of them said.
A source from the pro-Brown camp, who said they recently spoke with Trump, took a different view, telling Fox the claims made by the pro-Gunter sources were "simply just not accurate."
"[Trump] thinks Gunter is a weirdo, and served him poorly as ambassador," the source said, adding that the reason Trump had yet to endorse Brown was not anything out of the ordinary.
"He just is never quick to do these things unless he has a long-standing relationship. In all the conversations, especially given that Sam was literally the top door-knocker for Donald Trump in the 2016 race and was an original grassroots MAGA guy, that is just something that's not factoring in any serious way. It's what people who want him not to do it are trying to push," they added.
The source predicted with "a really high level of confidence" that Trump would ultimately endorse Brown ahead of the Tuesday primary, saying the Sunday Las Vegas rally was the "logical" place to do it, but, if not, then it would be shortly after.
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Former President Trump is seen in attendance during the UFC 302 event at Prudential Center on June 1, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Brown told Fox, "I supported President Trump in 2016 and knocked doors for him in 2020. I've always believed in his vision for America and I continue to stand by him today. I look forward to working with President Trump to win Nevada this November and would be honored to receive his endorsement."
Fox has also reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
Nevada Democrats are having their own fun in the meantime, using the fact that Trump has not endorsed Brown to take digs at the candidate, including in multiple posts pointing out Trump making no mention of him in his video calling on Nevadans to vote.
"After begging at Mar-A-Lago, calling Trump his personal inspiration, and embarking on a far-right media tour to tout his MAGA credentials, it’s deeply embarrassing that Sam Brown still doesn’t have the Donald Trump stamp of approval he’s so desperately seeking," Nevada state Democrat Party spokesperson Katharine Kurz told Fox.
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"While Sam Brown continues stumbling over himself to suck up to Donald Trump, he’s also proving to voters that he will always put partisan politics over doing what’s right for Nevadans."
Brown and Gunter are facing a crowded primary field that includes former state Rep. Jim Marchant and veteran Air Force pilot Tony Grady. The winner of Tuesday's primary is expected to face Rosen in the November general election.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on X at @BGillespieAL.
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