A Texas Republican congressional candidate, Jace Yarbrough, who said critics might label his views “bigoted and backward and oppressive and Nazi-ish” has received a high-profile endorsement from President Donald Trump and financial support from tech billionaire Peter Thiel. Trump endorsed Jace Yarbrough on Monday via Truth Social, calling him an America First Patriot and a Brave Air Force Veteran.
Yarbrough is running in the GOP primary for Texas’s 32nd Congressional District. The seat is currently held by Democrat Julie Johnson, the first out LGBTQ+ person elected from the South, who is seeking reelection in the newly redrawn 33rd District following Republican-led gerrymandering. Federal Election Commission records reviewed by The Advocate show Thiel donated two $3,500 contributions to Yarbrough’s campaign on December 24, 2025, totaling $7,000, the maximum allowed when split between primary and general elections.
His donors also include chair of the board of the conservative Claremont Institute, and Charles Haywood, an entrepreneur associated with far-right political networks. Yarbrough has also drawn attention for a lawsuit challenging military discipline over off-duty remarks he delivered at a small retirement ceremony in Hawaii in June 2021.
