Donald Trump has been handing out what pass as endorsements for candidates running in upcoming elections, and the only criteria seems to be absolute fealty to any and all things MAGA. Since Donald Trump only represents Donald Trump and his policies consist of protecting and gathering more power for Donald Trump, the delusional nature of courting a Trump endorsement is frightening. Pennsylvania, meanwhile, has been a true focal point of a lot of truly dubious Jan. 6 insurrectionism and Big Lie activities.

Sean Parnell, an Army veteran, is running in the GOP primary for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat, and has received the Donald Trump faux-golden ticket endorsement that so many extremists covet. Along with other GOP candidates like former professional football player Herschel Walker (who has also received the Trump nod) and former disgraced Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (who hasn’t yet received it), Parnell seems to share a history of violence against the women in his life. Like, real dark and scary violence.

On Monday, the MAGA candidate’s estranged wife Laurie Parnell took the stand to testify under oath in the couple’s custody hearings. Warning: graphic details of domestic abuse to follow

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Laurie Parnell gave very emotional testimony detailing the verbal and physical abuse she endured at the hands of Sean Parnell during their marriage. This includes accusations that he would frequently call her a “whore,” and a “piece of shit,” and had once left her alone on the side of the road after the two argued about her pregnancy—that Sean wanted her to abort. “He tried to choke me out on a couch and I literally had to bite him” she testified. “He was strangling me.” Parnell has denied all of his estranged wife’s allegations. 

Parnell has been in a very contentious divorce and custody dispute with his estranged wife. The details of this divorce include very serious allegations of severe abuse on the part of Parnell toward his wife. Protective orders have been filed against Parnell, and he has tried to silence his wife with his own set of protective orders. However, a judge did not find that there was grounds for the kind of “sweeping gag order” Sean Parnell was hoping for in order to keep this story quiet during his campaign.

Receiving an endorsement from Trump means that you either believe in a make-believe universe where Donald Trump has always received all of the votes and really is the current president, and only mysterious deep state characters who are communists, Muslims, and/or woke corporations, are stopping this from happening. Conversely, you are so cynical and sociopathic that you believe this is your best bet to climb up a the ladder of wealth and power. Those are the two poles within which you will find any and all Donald Trump endorsements.