Key facts
- Louisiana congressional candidate Blake Miguez denies a rape accusation from 2007.
- Miguez previously received an endorsement from Donald Trump for a US House seat.
- The state redrew its congressional districts after a court decision.
- Miguez's campaign expressed hope to 'earn' Trump's endorsement again for a new district.
- Trump's team indicated they would review the candidate field if new information emerges.
Louisiana congressional candidate Blake Miguez, who is facing a rape accusation that he denies, is seeking to regain the endorsement of Donald Trump following a redrawing of the state's US House districts. Miguez had initially secured Trump's backing for a district that no longer exists due to the Supreme Court's decision in Callais v Louisiana.
A spokesperson for Miguez stated that he was honored by Trump's previous endorsement and hopes to earn it again after announcing a campaign under the new district lines. A White House spokesperson clarified that Trump has not formally rescinded his endorsement but indicated that the president would review the candidate field if necessary, stating that no changes have been made and none are currently intended.
Reports from The Atlantic and The Guardian detailed a 2007 rape accusation against Miguez, which he has categorically denied as false. These reports raised concerns within the White House about whether Miguez was fully vetted or forthcoming about past information when he initially sought Trump's endorsement. Miguez's campaign has responded by highlighting articles that question the accuser's credibility, citing alleged mental health and substance abuse issues, and circulating an email from her father calling her a liar.
Lionel Rainey, a spokesperson for a PAC supporting rival candidate Rick Edmonds, dismissed the redistricting explanation for uncertainty over the endorsement as "silly." Miguez, a Republican state senator, won election in 2023 after serving more than eight years in the state's House of Representatives. He is considering running in one of two districts he does not currently reside in, a move permitted by state law. Democratic US House member Cleo Fields announced he would not seek re-election in the newly drawn sixth congressional district.