Queens County Conservative Party Endorses Trump

Republican presidential hopeful and former President Donald Trump celebrates his victory at a primary election night party in Nashua, N.H., on Jan. 23, 2024. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Queens County Conservative Party has endorsed former President Donald Trump for president in the 2024 White House race.

The party praised President Trump for his effort to support Americans and uphold values during his first term, in their Feb. 16 announcement.

“Born and raised in Queens, President Trump embodies the values and spirit of our unique community. Throughout his tenure, President Trump has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to serving the American people with integrity and strength,” Bob Chou, the chairman of the party, said in a statement. “He has delivered and will continue to fulfill his promises to prioritize the interests of hardworking Americans, bolster our economy, and uphold our constitutional values.”

The Queens County Conservative Party is affiliated with the Conservative Party of New York State, founded in 1962 as a response to differences with the Republican Party. The party is known for its endeavors to steer the GOP toward a more conservative direction.

The Conservative Party of New York State nominated President Trump in 2016 and 2020 for the president of the United States.

“President Trump’s deep understanding of the issues facing our communities, coupled with his relentless determination to enact meaningful change, sets him apart as the clear choice to lead our country for another term,” Mr. Chou said.

The former president has secured 249 major endorsements from House representatives, senators, and state governors, outnumbering the few endorsements received by his sole remaining GOP presidential rival, Nikki Haley.

‘Born and Raised in Queens’

President Trump was born in Queens, New York City, where he lived until he was four years old. He has businesses in New York, attended several schools there, and has lived most of his life in the city.

The endorsement comes after a New York judge last week ordered the former president to pay $355 million in damages and banned him from doing business in New York state for three years. The judge ruled that the former president is liable for manipulating his wealth to deceive lenders in order to get lower interest rates.

In his Feb. 16 ruling, Justice Engoron dismissed the testimony of expert witnesses, including testimony from an accounting expert and New York University professor, Eli Bartov, who testified under oath that the financial statements of The Trump Organization were consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and did not contain any significant misrepresentations.

Following the ruling, President Trump said the decision was a “sham” and called Justice Engoron “corrupt.”

“There were No Victims, No Damages, No Complaints,” he wrote.

“We have a corrupt judge. He’s not a respected man … We’ve employed tens of thousands of people in New York, and we paid taxes like few other people have ever paid in New York,” President Trump said in a video statement.

“They don’t care about that. It is a state that’s going bust ... It’s a state that’s going bust because everybody’s leaving.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James brought the case against President Trump and The Trump Organization in September 2022, and the trial began on Oct. 2, 2023.

‘Threat to All Businesses’ in New York

President Trump’s Attorney Alina Habba criticized the verdict, saying the ruling would hurt the business community.

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear: this is not just about Donald Trump, if this decision stands, it will serve as a signal to every single American that New York is no longer open for business,” Ms. Habba stated.

During an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, House Intelligence chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) also warned that the ruling is “a threat” to companies that have business operations in New York.

“I don’t trust this court decision. You know, being a practicing lawyer in commercial transactions, I think the whole premise of the case, which all legal analysts have said is unusual, is not really justifiable,” Mr. Turner said. “We'll have to see ultimately how the appeals run in this case. But I think if this case stands, it’s going to be a threat to really just all businesses, including those who are currently operating in New York.”

President Trump is the frontrunner by far in his bid for the Republican nomination, with 74.9 percent support, compared to 17.2 percent for Ms. Haley, according to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average.

For the general election in November, the former president takes a narrow lead of 1 percent ahead of President Biden for the White House race, the poll shows.

 Catherine Yang contributed to this report.