President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Representative Mike Collins in the Georgia Senate primary runoff early Sunday morning. The endorsement, made via a Truth Social post, comes in the final days before Tuesday’s runoff between Collins and former college football coach Derek Dooley. According to Politico, the timing gives Collins a small window to broadcast the support as the state’s early voting period has already ended. In his post, Trump called Collins a “WARRIOR and WINNER!” who has “been with me from the very beginning.” Trump also criticized Dooley for not voting in 2016 or 2020 and for acknowledging that Trump lost the state in 2020, while quipping that Dooley “seems like a nice person.” Dooley responded on X, stating he has “great respect” for Trump but reiterated that he is a political outsider best positioned to beat Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. The runoff is described by Politico as a proxy war between Trump’s authority and the power of Governor Brian Kemp, who is a lifelong friend and primary backer of Dooley. While Collins has long showcased his MAGA credentials and received backing from the White House-aligned Club for Growth PAC, Dooley has received regular appearances from Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp on the campaign trail. The two candidates advanced to the runoff after no candidate topped 50% in a crowded primary field that also included Representative Buddy Carter. Collins led Dooley by 40.5 percent to 30 percent in the first round of voting in mid-May. Both candidates face various allegations; Collins has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee regarding an intern, while Dooley has faced accusations regarding a “pay to play” scandal involving his brother and the governor. Both campaigns have denied wrongdoing.