US Senate candidates react to Trump visit

Indiana’s US Senate candidates are welcoming President Donald J. Trump to the Hoosier state.

Some say this would be a wasted trip if the president didn’t lend his endorsement to Republican US Senate nominee Mike Braun in pretty much Democratic incumbent Senator Joe Donnelly’s backyard.

While Braun says he’s excited by that prospect, Donnelly is putting on his best poker face, at least just for today.

Just moments after a decisive victory in Tuesday’s primary, Braun looked ahead to the general election.

He has sights set on Donnelly’s seat and he’s hoping a nod from the president could make that vision clearer.

“I think I bring a lot better dynamic to really come to DC and solve a lot of problems folks that have been there a long time just haven’t done a very good job at," Braun said.

Donnelly, who’s back in D.C. on Thursday, says he’s not concerned.

“I welcome the president and the vice president to our state. We’re happy to have them back and as I said, my focus is just on trying to make sure I can help to make the lives of all Hoosiers better," Donnelly said.

Donnelly says his efforts over the next six months will be spent meeting voters in all 92 counties and less worrying about his opponent and the president’s involvement in this race.

“I’m going to be making sure to be talking to Hoosiers about them because there’s so much more wisdom in Indiana than Washington D.C.," Donnelly said.

The last time we saw Donnelly at a Trump rally in Indiana it was when the president rolled out his tax reform plan in September.

The president promised to aggressively campaign against Donnelly if he voted against his proposal. Donnelly voted against it.

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