Pennsylvania US Senate candidate McCormick says 'stakes are so high' for country's trajectory

Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick said Sunday the "stakes are so high" for the upcoming GOP primary to choose the best Republican to advance to the general election and change the trajectory of the country by undoing Democratic control in the upper house of Congress.

"I think we’re going to have a big turnout, and right now what the voters are focused on in the primary is who is the candidate that shared my conservative values and is going to fight for those in Washington," McCormick said during an appearance on Fox News’ "Sunday Morning Futures." 

"The second question is who can win this general election? The stakes are so high because it determines not only Pennsylvania but the direction of the country and then, three, who can show up on day one with the experience to deal with the crisis we’re in — Ukraine, China, the open borders?" he said. 

McCormick, the former Bridgewater CEO who attended West Point and served in Iraq during the Reagan administration, did not name his GOP opponent Kathy Barnette, whose viability as a Republican in the general election has been called into question over past controversial tweets on Islam.

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Though he did not win an endorsement from former President Trump, who threw his support behind Dr. Oz in the Pennsylvania GOP primary, McCormick said he does support Trump’s America First agenda. 

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"I absolutely want to make American great again," McCormick said. "I’ve been America First my whole life from the very first day I volunteered to go to West Point to serve our great country. So, absolutely I’ll be someone who stands tall and fights for America First policies, and I think President Trump did a great job in bringing that agenda and dealing with the millions of forgotten people across Pennsylvania and our country. And that agenda is something I’ll fight for: pro-growth economic policies, fair trade, energy dominance, secure borders — these are the foundational building blocks of a great America. "

McCormick, endorsed by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and other Republican heavyweights, has branded himself as the conservative for the job to take on the Democratic machine led by President Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Oz, on the other hand, has faced criticism suggesting he’s a Hollywood liberal. 

"Pennsylvanians are focused on this, and they’re realizing this is probably the most important race of their lifetimes in terms of their votes in Pennsylvania, and they’re angry," McCormick said, explaining how Pennsylvania voters are outraged over record inflation, the energy industry being attacked and other issues. 

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"They are angry, and they’re worried their country is slipping away. And they see this race as so important to blocking the terrible left agenda that Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer are leading in Washington," McCormick said. 

"And they see this as a race that’s going to determine whether there’s a Senate conservative, America First conservative leading in the Senate and whether the Senate will be led by Republicans, and Chuck Schumer packs his bags and goes back to New York."