Another MAGA Republican has been busted tossing Donald Trump overboard as the president becomes unwanted baggage for his own party.
California Rep. Young Kim went all-in on Trump as she faced off against Rep. Ken Calvert, another MAGA Republican, in a primary in her newly redrawn district earlier this summer, proudly touting her MAGA credentials.
But now, with the general election looming and Trump’s popularity sagging, references to the president are conspicuously disappearing from Kim’s campaign, Politico’s California Playbook first reported.
Going into the June primary, Kim’s campaign website proudly planted the 63-year-old congresswoman in Trump’s corner.
“Young Kim is a Proven Fighter who will Stand with President Trump to deliver a bold America First Agenda,” the home page declared, according to an archived version of the website.
Since then, Kim has scrubbed Trump’s name from the home page—along with a reference to his “America First” agenda—while leaving the other elements intact.
“Young Kim is taking on Career Politicians to Restore the American Dream,” the page declares, despite Kim’s own lengthy political résumé. She has spent more than a decade in politics and is now serving her third term in Congress after previously serving in the California State Assembly.
Trump, 80, appears to be getting the same vanishing treatment on Kim’s campaign signs, Politico reported.
In April, Kim’s campaign signs prominently touted her Trump credentials, reading: “Trump Republican, Young Kim, U.S. Congress.”
By August, however, “Trump Republican” had disappeared. Kim substituted the label with “Cut Taxes & Lower Costs!” while leaving the rest of the sign untouched.
Kim is the latest Republican to reach for the political eraser as Trump’s approval ratings plummet to historic lows.
GOP Rep. Andy Barr, who is running for Senate in Kentucky, was busted removing an image of Trump at the top of his campaign website, as well as a banner touting Trump’s endorsement.
Ralph Alvarado, a Republican running to represent Kentucky in the House, wiped Trump’s name and image from his campaign website, as did Mike Beltran, the GOP nominee for Florida’s 14th congressional district.
Chris Pack, a spokesperson for Kim, told Politico that it was “completely absurd” to suggest that the congresswoman was distancing herself from Trump, pointing to posts from last month in which she touted the so-called Trump Accounts.
“Our campaign has consistently framed this race as a choice between an effective leader like Young Kim, who has delivered results in less than three terms in Congress, and Ken Calvert, whose career has been plagued by corruption controversies and FBI investigations,” Pack said.
Kim and Calvert are running against each other in California’s 40th congressional district after redistricting drew the two Republican incumbents into the same district. Calvert, 73, who was initially elected to the U.S. House in 1992, finished first in the June primary with 34.9 percent of the vote, followed by Kim’s 20.6 percent, sending both into a November rematch.
Kim’s campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s questions, including whether she is planning to attend the GOP midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
At least 45 Republicans are avoiding what some GOP circles have dubbed “Trump-a-palooza,” wary of being seen alongside the unpopular president as they court moderate voters in their home districts.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
