President Donald Trump's endorsement of Rep. Mike Collins in the Georgia Senate Republican runoff was apparently a surprise to to the lawmaker's aides and advisers, Politico reported.

Before making the endorsement, Trump had grilled Collins about his hard-line views on abortion in a White House meeting.

On Sunday, two days before Tuesday's runoff, Trump endorsed Collins over former college football coach Derek Dooley. Dooley is endorsed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

The winner will challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is running for a second term in a state Trump won in 2024.

In their meeting late last month, Trump pressed Collins regarding how he could win in Georgia and repeatedly questioned him about his abortion stance. After the meeting, those close to Collins thought an endorsement was unlikely, Politico reported.

Collins and Trump spoke shortly before Trump's endorsement, which surprised some Collins aides, Politico reported.

In a 2022 debate for his current House seat, Collins said: "I have always stated and I've always been and always will be 100% pro-life, period. No exceptions."

While campaigning, Collins has said he supports Georgia's current abortion law, which bans abortion at around six weeks, though it includes exceptions for rape, incest, and protecting the life of the mother.

Collins and Dooley have been attempting to get Trump's endorsement since they advanced to the runoff, Politico reported.

The Georgia lawmaker has received the support of groups aligned with MAGA, including Turning Point Action and the Club for Growth PAC. And Trump touted Collins in an online rally Monday.

"Mike is a special guy, a special congressman, a special person, and so I'd like to have everybody go out and get out and vote for this man. We love Georgia, you know," Trump said.

Dooley said Collins would lose to Ossoff in a general election.

"A vote for Mike Collins is a vote for Jon Ossoff. A vote for me is a vote for the people of Georgia," Dooley said.