Former President Donald Trump had in recent weeks expressed dismay at the state of Sean Parnell's Senate candidacy in Pennsylvania and blamed his son, Don Jr., for tethering him to the faltering campaign, according to a Politico report.
Parnell, an Army veteran and former congressional candidate who was highly touted by Trump's son and endorsed by the former president in September, suspended his campaign on Monday after losing a child custody battle.
A judge in Butler County, Pennsylvania, awarded Parnell's estranged wife, Laurie Snell, primary custody and sole legal custody of their three children, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Earlier this month, Snell testified under oath that Parnell choked her until she fought back to escape his wrath, while also stating that he hit their children and repeatedly hurled obscenities at her, per The Inquirer.
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Before Parnell's exit, Trump was reportedly "fixated" on the situation, expressing disappointment with being connected to the campaign's struggles, and was in disbelief over the developments in Parnell's very public custody battle, according to a source who spoke with Politico. Donald Jr. had been a catalyst for his father's endorsement of Parnell, and the deterioration of the Pennsylvania Republican's campaign was disconcerting to the former president, per Politico.
However, despite the damning allegations from Snell earlier this month, Trump did not withdraw his support of Parnell.
Trump's team had even continued to move forward with a January 2022 fundraiser for Parnell at the former president's Mar-a-Lago club in South Florida, according to Politico.
Trump's and Parnell's teams did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.