In the heated race for New Jersey’s 2025 Republican gubernatorial primary, a controversy has emerged over campaign advertisements from candidate Bill Spadea, which some voters and political observers claim are misleading.
The ads feature a soundbite from President Donald Trump praising Spadea back when he was just a radio host, leading some to believe Trump endorsed Spadea for governor. However, Trump has officially endorsed Spadea’s rival, Jack Ciattarelli, creating confusion among voters as the June 10 primary approaches.
The controversy stems from a radio interview Trump gave in early 2024 on Spadea’s New Jersey 101.5 morning show, when Spadea was still a radio host and had not yet announced his gubernatorial candidacy. In the clip, Trump says, “You’ve had my back from the beginning. I really appreciate it.”
Trump was referring to Spadea’s on-air support of the President and his agenda, which at the time was a pivot.
It came after Spadea dumped Trump in 2020, saying the president should have resigned in 2020 after January 6th and that his presidency was a failure. Spadea went on to later support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis before returning to Trump’s camp.
Spadea’s campaign has incorporated this soundbite into advertisements, framing it in a way that suggests Trump’s support for Spadea as a candidate. Critics argue this is a deliberate misrepresentation, as Trump’s comments were directed at Spadea’s support as a radio personality, not as a political candidate.
On May 12, Trump unequivocally endorsed Jack Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman and the frontrunner in the Republican primary, in a post on Truth Social.
Trump called Ciattarelli “a terrific America First Candidate” who has “gone ALL IN” on the MAGA agenda, adding that he is “best positioned to STAND TALL against the Radical Left Democrats” in the November election. The endorsement was widely reported by outlets including NBC News, The New York Times, and Fox News, solidifying Ciattarelli’s lead in polls, where he currently holds 44% support compared to Spadea’s 18%, according to a recent Emerson College poll.
Spadea, a former conservative radio host known for his outspoken support of Trump, has positioned himself as the “true Trump ally” in the race. His campaign has leaned heavily on his past interactions with Trump, including the 2024 radio appearance and a photo of the two together in Wildwood, to appeal to the MAGA base. However, Trump’s endorsement of Ciattarelli came as a blow to Spadea’s campaign, which had actively sought the former president’s backing. Spadea met with Trump at his Bedminster golf club in March 2025, as did Ciattarelli, in a bid to secure the endorsement.
Reacting to Trump’s decision, Spadea expressed disappointment, describing the news as “a punch to the gut.” In a statement to PhillyVoice, he recounted receiving a call from Bill Stepien, his campaign consultant and Trump’s former 2020 campaign manager, informing him of the endorsement while he was entering a campaign event. Spadea claimed that by the next morning, he received “700 unread texts and thousands of messages on social media” from supporters who believed “Donald Trump made a mistake.” He further argued that Trump “endorsed a poll, not a person,” pointing to Ciattarelli’s consistent lead in polls and suggesting the endorsement would not translate into voter support. Spadea also cited past Trump-endorsed candidates in New Jersey, like Christine Serrano Glassner in the 2024 U.S. Senate primary, who lost despite Trump’s backing.
Ciattarelli’s campaign has pushed back against Spadea’s tactics. Chris Russell, a strategist for Ciattarelli, called Spadea’s remarks “just more BS,” accusing him of “harsh attacks on President Trump” and “lying smears against Jack Ciattarelli.”
Ciattarelli himself has embraced the endorsement, stating on X that he was “truly humbled and honored” and vowing to “unite our party, win big in November, and make New Jersey affordable and safe again.”
The Spadea campaign’s use of the 2024 radio clip has drawn criticism for its potential to mislead voters. Political insiders note that while Spadea has every right to highlight his past support for Trump, presenting the soundbite in a way that implies an endorsement for his gubernatorial run is misleading. “It’s a clever but disingenuous move,” said one New Jersey Republican strategist, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Voters who don’t follow the race closely might assume Trump’s praising Spad
