President Donald Trump withdrew his endorsement of Oklahoma Republican congressional candidate Jackson Lahmeyer on Wednesday, minutes before the Tulsa pastor suspended his campaign over a texting scandal that had already upended the GOP primary. The move insta
On Wednesday, Jackson Lahmeyer’s political day turned in the span of minutes—first when President Donald Trump pulled his support, then when Lahmeyer himself suspended his campaign.
Trump’s withdrawal came for Oklahoma’s Republican 1st Congressional District, where Lahmeyer had advanced to an Aug. 25 runoff after Tuesday’s primary. Minutes later. the Tulsa pastor—who founded the Pastors for Trump coalition—announced he was stepping aside after a texting scandal reshaped the race while voting was underway.
The controversy had been fueled by a Daily Mail report published days before the primary. It showed text messages between Lahmeyer and Caitlin Key. a former Miss Oklahoma USA who had worked as a fundraiser for his campaign. The messages included personal exchanges in which Lahmeyer allegedly called Key “cute. ” invited her to his hotel room and discussed late-night outings while traveling.
Lahmeyer acknowledged sending the messages but disputed the way they were presented. In a Facebook post. he said he had crossed “a boundary line through text messaging. ” while arguing that selected messages had been used to create an inaccurate picture of the relationship. He added that the matter had already been addressed privately with his wife and that communication with Key had ended.
Just weeks earlier, Trump had publicly thrown his weight behind Lahmeyer. In an endorsement that positioned the candidate as part of the president’s political circle. Trump called him a “MAGA Warrior” and praised Lahmeyer’s work on behalf of the president and the broader MAGA movement. Lahmeyer’s coalition, Pastors for Trump, became a familiar name in Trump’s 2024 campaign—helping mobilize evangelical support.
Then the president changed course.
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump thanked Lahmeyer for his work but said he was backing Tedford instead. Trump gave the state lawmaker his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
By the end of the day, Lahmeyer was out of the race.
In a statement announcing his withdrawal. Lahmeyer said he did not want to become a distraction to his family. church or voters in the district. Later, he told The Hill that he had decided to leave the race before Trump publicly withdrew his endorsement. He said he chose “my wife over my ambition” and added: “My decision did not take place because of the decision of POTUS this afternoon.”.
Still, the sequence left little doubt about the immediate political impact. Lahmeyer’s departure effectively cleared the field for state Rep. Mark Tedford, who had advanced alongside him from Tuesday’s Republican primary. With Republicans heavily favored to win the district, Tedford now holds the advantage.
Tedford is running to succeed Rep. Kevin Hern. Hern is running for the Senate seat opened when Markwayne Mullin left the House to join Trump’s Cabinet as homeland security secretary.
The messaging—support, withdrawal, and then a campaign suspension—came fast on Wednesday. What began as a texting story circulating just before the primary ended up determining the runway for the party’s nominee in Oklahoma’s heavily Republican 1st Congressional District.
Donald Trump Jackson Lahmeyer Mark Tedford Pastors for Trump texting scandal Oklahoma 1st Congressional District Republican primary Aug. 25 runoff Kevin Hern Markwayne Mullin Caitlin Key Truth Social Facebook post