President Donald Trump moved Friday to protect the GOP's majority in the U.S. Senate by persuading a Republican challenger to drop out of the primary race against Nevada Sen. Dean Heller.
Shortly after Trump tweeted that Danny Tarkanian, a staunch supporter of the president, should clear the way for Heller to run unopposed, Tarkanian did exactly that.
Heller is one of the nation's most vulnerable Republican senators in a year when Trump's unpopularity has imperiled many GOP incumbents.
Tarkanian's candidacy had threatened to force Heller to the right in the primary, making it even harder for Heller to win the general election in a swing state where Hillary Clinton beat Trump in the 2016 election.
His exit was first reported by The Washington Post. He is the son of legendary University of Nevada Las Vegas basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian.
