Lee made the announcement on Fox News’ “Ingraham Angle”, where he touted the Senate’s recent immigration negotiations before making the announcement.

“The American people have a choice to make. In this circumstance they have a rare, historically unusual chance to choose between two presidents. They have a chance to choose between order and lawlessness. They have an opportunity to choose between putting America first and America last. I chose first and always to put America first,” Lee said.

Lee said Trump “has kept promises,” and framed the former president, who is now charged in four separate criminal cases, as a more reliable candidate.

“We know what kind of president he will be. So whether you agree with him on every point or not, if you are not content with the status quo, the status quo of lawlessness, of putting America last, it’s time to get behind Donald Trump,” he said.

Lee, who once called for Trump to step aside during the 2016 election, became a key ally during his tenure, working early on to help the former president in his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He blasted the recent indictment of Trump, saying it “echoes despotism.”

After his appearance on Fox News, Lee took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, where he said Biden “refuses to enforce our border, prosecutes his opponents, and embraces policies that make life unaffordable for hardworking Americans. I’ll take the mean tweets.”

Lee’s endorsement comes a day after Utah’s lieutenant governor and first lady endorsed Nikki Haley for president. Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor, has enjoyed recent momentum but still trails Trump in most polls.

A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll in November shows Haley with 13% support among Republican voters compared to Trump’s 30%. She polls similarly in Iowa where she is currently campaigning ahead of the state’s Jan. 15 caucuses, with 17% and Trump at 50%

“Her message is resonating with Republican voters. We have seen a surge, she was a longshot candidate at the beginning, very low in the polls. She’s been rising,” said Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson. “I think this is a race for her, she is proving that she is … the type of leader that Republicans want, that America wants and we’ll see what happens.”

Utah News Dispatch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news source covering government, policy and the issues most impacting the lives of Utahns.