Trump endorses Mike Collins in Georgia Senate runoff

President Donald Trump on Saturday endorsed Republican Rep. Mike Collins in the runoff for Georgia's Senate nomination.

Collins, a MAGA supporter who represents Georgia's 10th Congressional District, faces former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley in Tuesday's runoff. The winner will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.

Collins is the son of the late Rep. Mac Collins and co-owns a trucking company with his wife. Dooley, a lawyer and the son of former University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, has the backing of Gov. Brian Kemp.

Both candidates advanced from last month's primary after no one reached 50 percent. Trump had stayed neutral until now, while Kemp and his wife have campaigned with Dooley.

Collins has highlighted his support for Trump. Dooley has presented himself as an outsider and criticized Collins as an insider. Collins has said Dooley lacks political experience and has lived outside Georgia for much of his adult life.

The House Ethics Committee has investigated Collins over allegations that he paid an intern who did not perform work. Collins denied wrongdoing. He later fired a staffer who posted on social media mocking the wife of a Dooley advisor who had attempted suicide. Collins called the post "despicable and unauthorized."

Dooley has faced accusations of involvement in a "pay to play" matter with his brother and Kemp. Both denied wrongdoing, and Democrats requested an independent investigation.

Ossoff has raised a large campaign fund for the general election.

Trump's endorsement power faces another test in Georgia's other runoff, where his backed candidate, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, is running for the GOP gubernatorial nomination against Rick Jackson.

Trump's endorsed candidates have won several recent primaries but lost in Iowa two weeks ago when Rep. Randy Feenstra fell to Zach Lahn. Last week, Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette finished first in South Carolina's GOP gubernatorial primary. Sen. Lindsey Graham, also endorsed by Trump, won a majority in South Carolina's Republican Senate primary.