You can expect to be hearing a lot more of Rep. Tom Marino’s name after he became the fifth sitting U.S. Congressman to back Donald Trump for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination.
“For the past 10 months, I have listened to political pundits and inside-the-Beltway politicians say that Donald Trump is not a serious candidate, cannot win the Republican nomination and cannot win the presidency. However, Mr. Trump has defied the odds at every turn,” Marino said in a statement. “It is time that we start listening to what the people want, and that is a President Donald Trump.”
In an exclusive interview with POLITICO’s Daniel Lippman, Marino said Trump has “overwhelming support” in his district – which stretches from west of Harrisburg to the New York and New Jersey borders – because “he’s the man for the unprotected … not for the protected, not for the Wall Street people, not for the DC insiders, but for the hard-working taxpayers.”
The three-term Congressman said he made the decision to endorse Trump on his own, without any courting, and called it “one of my life-changing moments” – akin to adopting his children and deciding to run for Congress in 2010.
Marino defended Trump’s latest headline-making comments about the Ku Klux Klan, in which Trump wouldn’t denounce David Duke, a former leader of the KKK.
“Trump’s daughter, who converted to Judaism in 2009,” Marino began. “I don’t think Trump has any feeling and concerns about the KKK, other than he doesn’t like them. He renounces them and given the fact that he supported his daughter in that move shows that.”
Trump infamously kicked off his campaign by calling Mexicans “rapists” and “drug dealers,” but Marino pointed to Trump’s leadership on the issue of immigration.
“Mr. Trump is right about the desperate need to address illegal immigration and fight to keep our country safe,” Marino said in the statement. “For far too long, President Obama has used his executive action powers to circumvent Congress and institute dangerous policies that both cripple our national security and economy.”
Marino also stood up for Trump’s non-existent political experience and pointed to his success in the polls as evidence the voters are looking for a different type of leader.
“How’s it going for us now?” Marino said. “Over the last 20 years, over the last Republican and Democrat presidents, senators as presidents, governors as presidents, career politicians as presidents.”
Marino said he wasn’t expecting any backlash from the 10th Congressional District over his endorsement. He also doesn’t have to worry about giving political ammo to any challengers for his seat, as he is running unopposed.
19 Responses
Message for Marino…Thank you for your bravery, compassion and representing the true will of your fellow countrymen by Making America Great Again!
The Rs better make all these guys pay once Hillary destroys The Donald.
If you read the original Politico article, you’ll find this jewel that PoliticsPA chose not to print.
“They tried to spread around that I was involved in organized crime because I have a vowel at the end of my name,” Marino said.
No, “they” did spread around that Marino, while a member of the justice department, wrote a letter of recommendation for a convicted felon who was tight with the Buffalino family to get a slots license in NEPA. Then when he was questioned on it, he left justice and went to work for the felon. Yeah, it was all about the vowel at the end of his name.
Yes, he is the finest example we have in Pennsylvania of gerrymandering.
Is David Duke, the KKK & the American Nazi Party supporting Marino too?
The National R leadership wants to disenfranchise millions of voters who want Trump? Why have a primary then and just let the establishment R’s pick who they want. At least Rep Marino is responding to primary voters.
Apparently it *is* possible for Marino to sink lower.
I am a pathetic retard troll. And a Trumpanzee.
So this idiot think Trump is a condom? “For the unprotected”.
This guy must like the “poorly educated” just like Trump does, because they are the only people stupid enough to vote for either guy.
Trump should be President because that’s what his people want? Nothing about qualifications? Does he feed his kids cotton candy every meal because that’s what his kids want?
Glad he adopted his kids instead of reproducing.
Trumps daughter converted to Judaism so Trump knows about the KKK?
Running unopposed? Maybe his district’s voters haven’t yet found out there is an impending election. Did Fox News forget to tell them?
From a district stretching from west of Harrisburg to the NJ border? Must be gerrymandering at its worst.
chugga chugga woot woot
The one thing Trump is good for is showing all the sane voters which elected officials are truly unfit for office. Anyone who thinks Trump would make a good president should be voted out immediately and sent to a mental institution.
Lunatics sticking together.
At least the Trump phenomena is exposing the lunatics for who they are.
Marino is running with an independent challenger — Jerry Kairnes — who worked on Troiano’s 2014 campaign.
All the more reason with this endorsement to rally behind someone who truly does represent a shift away from politics as usual. Marino needs to go.
Who?