October 29, 2025 10:40 AM UTC

Jeff Hurd Kisses The MAGA Ring, Exact Manner Of Prostration Unknown

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• by: Colorado Pols

As Ernest Luning reports for the Colorado Springs Gazette’s political blog formerly known as the Colorado Statesman, President Donald Trump has bestowed his blessing on freshman GOP Rep. Jeff Hurd in his primary contest against former Colorado GOP vice-chair and Caucasian cultural ambassador Hope Scheppelman to continue representing the Lauren Boebert-less Third Congressional District:

“Colorado’s 3rd deserves strong, effective leadership that delivers results,” Hurd said. “I look forward to working with President Trump to keep our border secure, advance American energy dominance, support our veterans, defend our freedoms, and ensure peace through strength.”

Hurd’s was one of 28 endorsements of House Republican incumbents posted by Trump in quick succession Saturday.

Hurd’s primary challenger, Bayfield Republican Hope Scheppelman, a former vice chair of the Colorado Republican Party, noted in a comment to Colorado Politics that a Trump endorsement doesn’t guarantee a win in the 3rd CD’s GOP primary.

“Just like President Trump’s previous endorsement of Scott Tipton, his staff has lied to him about Jeff Hurd’s actual anti-Trump agenda in support of Ilhan Omar, against the J6 prisoners and against Trump’s successful America First tariff strategy,” Scheppelman said in a text message. “His staffers are trying to put lipstick on a pig but those who know the facts aren’t buying it.”

Scheppelman is correct in pointing out that Rep. Hurd has been by far the most openly critical of Trump out of Colorado’s four Republican members of Congress, condemning Trump’s pardons of even the violent January 6th, 2021 insurrectionists, criticizing Trump’s trade policies mass layoffs of federal workers. Hurd has co-sponsored legislation that would roll back health care cuts he previously voted for, and restore congressional authority over tariffs. Hurd has dissented enough to have earned Trump’s wrath and even the backing of a primary opponent against him…

But instead, Trump has endorsed Hurd’s re-election. Again, Scheppelman is right to point out that Trump originally endorsed Scott Tipton in his losing primary against Boebert in 2020, but Trump’s endorsement is nonetheless a big relief for Hurd. The question is, what did Hurd do to shore up support with the White House despite his brief relatively dissident record in Congress? Perhaps an understanding has been reached in which Hurd’s complaints have been judged to be performative and therefore unthreatening? Or maybe GOP strategists are genuinely worried that Scheppelman, overall considered a marginal contender, could jeopardize Republican control of the seat if she were to unseat Hurd in the primary?

Either way, it’s clear that Hurd is receiving deference from Trump that other Republican Trump critics have not been afforded.

And that never happens without a reason.