Former President Donald Trump blasted Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill McSwain on Tuesday, saying the former federal prosecutor did “absolutely nothing” to investigate Mr. Trump’s claims of election fraud in 2020.
“Do not vote for Bill McSwain, a coward, who let our country down,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “He knew what was happening and let it go.”
Mr. McSwain served three years as the top federal prosecutor in Philadelphia under Mr. Trump and had been seeking the former president’s endorsement. He has said former Attorney General Bill Barr ordered him not to pursue any election-fraud investigation in Pennsylvania, which was captured by President Biden.
The blow to Mr. McSwain’s campaign, coupled with the expected decision by state Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman to quit the race, leaves former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta and state Sen. Doug Mastriano as the two most prominent GOP candidates for governor.
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro is the leading Democratic candidate for governor. The primary is on May 17.
Mr. Barletta, former mayor of Hazleton, is a longtime Trump ally. Mr. Mastriano was actively involved in pushing Mr. Trump’s claims of a stolen election in 2020.
Mr. Trump said Mr. McSwain, on the other hand, “did absolutely nothing on the massive Election Fraud that took place in Philadelphia and throughout the commonwealth.”
The McSwain campaign did not immediately comment.
Last summer, Mr. McSwain sent a letter to Mr. Trump saying that Mr. Barr had ordered him not to pursue voter fraud allegations, and “as a Marine infantry officer, I was trained … to respect the orders of my superiors.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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