as the upcoming gubernatorial primary race gets closer the GOP candidates in New Jersey are in a fight of their own not only trying to win over the approval of voters but also vying for the endorsement of President Trump his backing is considered the X factor in the primary yet a liability in the general election senior political correspondent David Cruz reports the battle for the heart and mind of Donald Trump is the prevailing theme of this Republican gubernatorial primary a Trump endorsement is seen as a sure path to victory and so both sides are showing how Trumpy they are if only by showing how not Trumpy the other guy is Ciattarelli he's a fake Republican he turned his back on President Trump finally we have a president committed to secure our border yet Bill Spadea thinks we should let millions of illegals in but if there was a mirror mirror on the wall who's the Trumpiest one of all former Englewood Cliffs mayor Mario Kranjac says that would be me and not the others my competitors have wavered uh called him a charlatan called him a failure the president right now needs governors to work with who have fixed values fixed beliefs that align with his and who have always supported him Kranjac is on the ballot but an unlikely recipient of a presidential endorsement still he's not wrong about his opponents both Spadea and Ciattarelli have said things about Trump and Trump policies that they'd probably like to take back today certainly Trump had some policy successes but he also had some policy positions that weren't good for New Jersey whether it was offshore drilling lack of support for the Gateway project and elimination of the salt deduction it's hard to support a president a nominee or rather a candidate for the presidency who isn't in sync with what's important to New Jerseyians it is time that we talk about a pathway to citizenship for people who are here and they are undocumented there are millions of people here that are hardworking they want to be here they want to pay taxes and I say let them there are some signs of Trump fatigue out there folks are on overload with tariffs and tax cuts and the price of eggs are Republicans here still hot enough for Trump to even come out for a race where he's not at the top of the ticket republican Assemblyman Brian Bergen says he's not convinced Trump will even get involved in the race it's all risk no reward for him i think what we witnessed in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race recently is people like Donald Trump for Donald Trump that doesn't mean that it cascades to everybody around him by any stretch and I think all the candidates particularly Ciattarelli and uh Spadea have done a good job confusing everybody as to who's the more Trumpier person so it'll take a lot even if Trump does an endorsement for Spadia for the messaging to take I think and make a difference it looks lately like the president's light may be shining on Ciattarelli although Ciattarelli his eye on the general election in the fall isn't really crowing too much about it i do think it's actually maybe changing for Jack Ciattarelli it's much more of a game of keep away from uh Spadea right they don't want It's not that they want the endorsement of course they you know will welcome anything that's going to help them get the nomination but they must feel like they're in a good place as far as the nomination goes and so therefore don't necessarily do more to tie yourself to a guy who's you know an anchor around your neck but really what they're hoping is to keep the nomination keep the support keep the endorsement away from Spadea and if you can do that then you're achieving your purpose meanwhile the other guy in the race Jon Bramnick watches the delegate dance content in his decision made long ago that no Trump is good Trump even in a Republican primary i'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight News [Music]