Donald Trump suffers series of setbacks as three Republicans he endorsed lose their primaries, the worst night of the election cycle for the president
President Donald Trump suffered back-to-back-to-back defeats in the 2026 Republican primary cycle on Tuesday, August 18, as three GOP candidates he endorsed lost contests in Florida and Wyoming. Rep. Cory Mills, Catalina Lauf and Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder were all defeated in their respective Republican primaries despite receiving Trump’s support, marking a challenging stretch for the president.
Three Donald Trump-backed candidates fall in GOP primaries
In Florida’s 7th Congressional District, former television journalist Ryan Elijah defeated Mills, an incumbent whom Trump endorsed in February. The Associated Press projected Elijah as the winner on Tuesday night. Mills’ campaign had been complicated by controversies and investigations involving accusations he has denied. Trump later said he had urged Mills “to get out of the Race, but he wouldn’t listen.”
In Florida’s open 19th District, conservative media executive Jim Schwartzel defeated Lauf in the race to succeed Rep. Byron Donalds. Schwartzel received about 29% of the vote to Lauf’s roughly 22%, with the Associated Press calling the race at 8:03 p.m. ET.
In Wyoming, Republican state Sen. Eric Barlow defeated Degenfelder in the gubernatorial primary to replace term-limited Gov. Mark Gordon. During the campaign, Barlow emphasized his Wyoming roots and local issues, while Degenfelder relied heavily on Trump’s support.
Catalina Lauf’s loss comes despite Donald Trump’s backing
Trump endorsed Lauf late in the campaign, while Florida’s early voting had already begun on August 8 and continued through August 15. That gap makes the result a less straightforward test of Trump’s endorsement power.
The district is heavily Republican, making the primary the central contest for the seat.
Lauf previously sought a congressional seat unsuccessfully in Illinois before moving to Florida.
An alarming stretch for Donald Trump
Trump’s latest losses follow three earlier August defeats. Trump-backed Mike Lindell lost in Minnesota’s Republican gubernatorial primary, Amir Hassan lost in a Michigan congressional primary and Rep. Andy Ogles lost his House primary in Tennessee. Former NBC News moderator Chuck Todd captured the broader political significance in a post on X, writing, “August has been a cruel month for Trump politically.”
The results do not establish that Republican voters are turning against Trump. His endorsement can still provide national attention, ideological credibility and an important advantage in crowded primaries. However, Tuesday showed that Republican voters can remain loyal to Trump while rejecting individual candidates he supports.
Before Tuesday, a White House official told Politico that Trump had a 98% endorsement success rate, with 233 wins from 238 endorsements. The official called his backing “the most powerful endorsement in the history of American politics” and described anyone disputing that as “a complete and utter fool.”
Donald Trump still records a major Florida win
The defeats came alongside a significant victory for Trump. Donalds, whom Trump endorsed for governor, won the Republican nomination with approximately 47.8% of the vote, ahead of Lt. Gov. Jay Collins at 25.2% and James Fishback at 10.5%, with 99% of expected votes counted. Trump appeared upbeat Tuesday night despite the series of defeats, posting on X, “A lot of great WINS tonight!!! President DJT.”