Trump’s Political Team Reportedly Fought To Keep Max Miller On Ballot

President Donald Trump’s political team urged Ohio Republicans not to pressure Republican Ohio Rep. Max Miller to drop out after the congressman maintained he would remain in the race, Politico reported Monday.

Administration officials reportedly warned party leaders that Miller would not drop out and that pressuring him to do so would complicate their messaging when they had to defend his seat against his Democratic challenger, Brian Poindexter, according to Politico. President Donald Trump previously warned Miller that things did not look good for his political career, though he never publicly called on the Ohio Republican to drop out.

“They basically told us to back off and let the voters decide,” an Ohio Republican told Politico.

The party cannot replace Miller because it passed the required deadlines to find a replacement. To replace a candidate, the local Republican Party committee must hold a meeting to select a committee and provide at least two days’ notice for that meeting, according to Ohio state law.

The deadline to pick a replacement was Monday at 4:00 p.m. EDT, and because of the two days’ notice requirement, Miller would have had to drop out by Saturday. If Miller dropped out by Wednesday, the party would have held a special election to determine his replacement.

The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Republicans in the state discussed scheduling the required meeting to replace Miller, hoping it would convince the embattled congressman to drop out, although they backed out of these efforts while in talks with administration officials, according to Politico.

Polls found Miller trailing Poindexter by double digits, including a Co/efficient