President Trump endorses Jim Desmond in race to follow Darrell Issa in Congress
Trump endorsed Desmond in the race for California’s 48th Congressional District.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Times of San Diego, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
Times of San Diego is an established local news outlet, and this article has an identified author and reports a current political development with attributed quotations. The short article offers limited original context, but no signs of unattributed reproduction are present.
- Source type — A local news outlet with a regional reporting focus.
- Author attribution — The article names its author.
- Editorial standards — The report attributes statements to the speakers and distinguishes them from its own factual narration.
- Track record — The outlet is an established regional publication, though this brief article provides little basis for assessing its reporting record in depth.
The article clearly reports the endorsement and includes direct statements from Trump, Desmond and a Democratic contender. It adds district and candidate context, but the piece is brief and does not include responses from the other candidates or much independent analysis.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article includes the endorser’s and recipient’s statements as well as a Democratic contender’s reaction. Its brief format leaves limited room for additional candidate perspectives or context about the race.
- Source diversity — It quotes Trump, Desmond and Campa-Najjar, but not the other Democratic contenders.
- Counterarguments presented — A Democratic candidate’s dismissive response provides a contrasting perspective.
- Omitted context — The short report provides little detail about the candidates’ platforms or the significance of the endorsement.
The article reports the endorsement and candidate responses in straightforward language, without adopting a clear partisan position.
- Language tone — The wording is mostly factual and restrained.
- Source selection — It includes statements from Trump, Desmond and a Democratic contender, though not from all candidates.
- Framing — The report centers on the endorsement without praising or condemning it.
Republished
Republished from TIME. The relationship between the two publishers has not been determined.
42 stories · 80–85 · updated Oct 12, 2026
This is TIME's own score, and this article is credited to TIME. The host score in the Source Check is Times of San Diego's.
President Trump endorsed Jim Desmond in the race to succeed Rep. Darrell Issa. Desmond welcomed the endorsement, while Democratic contender Ammar Campa-Najjar dismissed it.
Trump endorsed San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond in the race for California’s 48th Congressional District. Desmond thanked him and said the campaign would bring “common sense back to California” and make the state more affordable for working families.
Desmond is described as the leading Republican contender in a district whose boundaries were redrawn under Proposition 50. Issa decided not to run after the redistricting, and the article identifies Ammar Campa-Najjar, Marni von Wilpert and Brandon Riker as leading Democratic contenders. Campa-Najjar called Trump’s endorsement the “Kiss of death.”
Community verdict
19 VOTESCounts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 13
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People in this story
SWIPE →Republican candidate for California’s 48th Congressional District
Desmond's version of this story ↗Democratic candidate for the seat
Representative who decided not to run for the seat
Democratic candidate for the seat and San Diego Councilmember
Democratic candidate for the seat and Palm Springs investor
Part of a bigger story
8 OUTLETSPresident Donald Trump endorsed Washington state Sen. John Braun for the U.S. House race against Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in Washington’s 3rd District. Center outlets generally frame the endorsement as part of a competitive House race and relay the candidates’ responses; some center coverage instead reports Trump endorsing Jim Desmond in California’s 48th District.
- ARTICLES
- 13
- OUTLETS
- 8
- AVG CRED
- 76
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