Screenshot from Kevin Rinke ad
The thing about primary races is that people from the same party sometimes -- OK, often -- try to cannabalize one another to get the nomination.
In this case, gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon's campaign fired off a letter Friday demanding that fellow Republican Kevin Rinke take down an ad it calls "slanderous," The Detroit News reports. (See video below.)
Dixon hopes for an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, which would likely be beneficial, but not a guarantee of anything. Trump's 2022 endorsements have had mixed results.
Rinke's ad describes Dixon as an "establishment" Republican who can't be trusted and is supported by "never Trumpers."
The News reports:
The ad's most controversial and unproven claim is Dixon has "taken millions from the same billionaires who tried to illegally remove Trump from office." The allegation is a reference to west Michigan's DeVos family, which has endorsed Dixon.
DeVos resigned the day the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and sharply criticized Trump. She also has acknowledged that she had discussion about invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump.
The Rinke campaign is standing by the ad, the Detroit daily says.
Trump has yet to endorse any gubernatorial candidate in the Aug. 2 primary. The closest he came was in April at a Macomb County rally in which he praised Dixon.
