Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) will endorse President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, the congressman announced Thursday.

Katko cited Trump’s economic and trade policies as his reasons for supporting the incumbent during a meeting with Syracuse.com. He also said Trump was preferable to any of the Democratic candidates currently competing for the nomination.

During the 2016 presidential race, Katko called for Trump to drop out of the race following controversial comments Trump made about women. After that same election, Katko was one of 25 Republican congressmen to hold seats in districts Hillary Clinton once carried. That number has since dropped to three.

Katko said Trump earned his support through his economic, tax and trade policies, which he said have lowered unemployment in central New York. He expressed support for the president’s 2017 tax reform, his trade war with China and his work to implement revised trade agreements between Mexico, Canada and the United States.

The congressman also praised Trump’s support of the military, which he said has made America a safer place.

Voters should not interpret the endorsement as approval of the president’s conduct in office, Katko said.

Although Katko voted against impeaching Trump last month, he has criticized a number of the president’s policies, including the curtailing of food stamps and the use of Defense Department funds to construct border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. However, Katko said Trump’s overall record outweighs the negatives of his time in office, given the Democratic alternatives.

The Democratic Party has moved too far to the left, Katko said, and he doesn’t support any of the party’s candidates. He named former Vice President Joe Biden as an example of a candidate he once liked, but now feels has been pulled to the far left.

Katko said he doesn’t want voters to view his endorsement of Trump as blind support for the president. Instead, he wants to be judged on his record as a congressman.

Earlier this month, Trump named four of the five Republican congressman representing New York state as honorary co-chairs of his New York campaign. Katko was the only New York Republican not chosen. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) and Tom Reed (R-Corning) were the two co-chairs named from Upstate New York.

Published on January 26, 2020 at 8:34 pm

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu