MAGA Frets Over Donald Trump Primary Losses: 'What is Going On?'

After Trump's candidate Trent Staggs was resoundingly beaten in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Utah, MAGA supporters on X, formerly Twitter, are asking "What is going on?" and attacking retiring incumbent Mitt Romney, who endorsed winner John Curtis.

Conservative commentator Brigitte Gabriel tweeted "What is going on in Utah? The Mitt Romney endorsed candidate who refuses to endorse President Trump just won their Senate primary."

MAGA-affiliated user @tsquick62 replied to Gabriel with skepticism to the result, noting there was enthusiasm for Staggs in Utah, while other users blamed the result on Mitt Romney being a Democrat and on Californians having moved to the state

X User @VidalCalvin2 said Staggs lost because Democrats changed their registration to vote for moderate candidates in Republican primaries.

In his endorsement posted on Truth Social in April, Trump described Staggs as a "100% MAGA" candidate who, if elected, would "Secure the Border" and "Protect our always under siege Second Amendment."

Staggs, who has served as mayor of Riverton since 2018, was one of three Trump-endorsed candidates who lost Republican primaries on Tuesday, throwing into question whether the former president's endorsement will help or hinder a campaign. Although he has used his influence within the Republican Party to back a range of politicians in primaries since leaving office, those candidates have had mixed results with some, such as Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and Herschel Walker in Georgia, going on to lose high-profile contests to Democrats.

In contrast, Curtis, who won the primary on Sunday, is a moderate Republican endorsed by Romney, a former Republican presidential candidate and one of Trump's most prominent critics within the party.

Like Romney, Curtis is a skeptic of Trump's influence in the party. In 2021, he said voters should abandon Trump allies who backed the former president's baseless claims of voter fraud and who espoused his incendiary political rhetoric.

He has served as U.S. representative for Utah's 3^rd Congressional District since 2017 in which time he voted alongside 46 fellow Republicans to federally legalize same-sex marriage and has co-sponsored a bill aimed at preventing discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity while protecting religious freedom.

Curtis founded the Conservative Climate Caucaus—a group of Republican representatives who, according to their website, aim to "educate House Republicans on climate policies and legislation consistent with conservative values".

Curtis unsuccessfully ran for Utah State Senate as a Democrat in 2000 and later went on to serve as mayor of Provo.