The staggering scale of Republicans distancing themselves from President Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections has been revealed.
Reuters analysis found that 41 of 62 GOP candidates in competitive House and Senate races are trying to boost their election chances by distancing themselves from the deeply unpopular president, amounting to around two-thirds.
This includes Republicans voting or speaking out against Trump’s policies, such as the war in Iran or his obsession with data centers, as well as scrubbing all mentions of the president from their campaign websites.
Others have taken less drastic steps to avoid being too closely linked to the president ahead of the crucial November 3 elections, including declining to confirm whether they want him to campaign on their behalf or choosing not to appear at events where Trump will be.
The Republican Party is widely expected to lose control of the House in November, as the party in power historically suffers major losses in the lower chamber, combined with the GOP’s current razor-thin majority.
Intense voter backlash to Trump’s second term also means the Senate is in play for Democrats, who will need to flip at least four seats to seize control of the upper chamber, including in typically red states.
Multiple MAGA Republicans, such as Miami Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar and Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers, have broken with Trump by speaking out against his war with Iran or hard-line immigration policies in an effort to improve their midterm election hopes.
Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said that while candidates often distance themselves from the president in a midterm year, the scale of the pushback against Trump from within his own party is particularly damning.
“[Candidates] are reflecting voter attitudes in these races,” Bonjean told Reuters. “If [voters] are not with Trump, then they need to show a break.”
At least a dozen Republican candidates have taken the drastic step of removing Trump’s name, image or endorsements from their campaign websites so as not to put off potential voters.
This includes Mike Beltran, a Republican running against Democratic Florida Rep. Kathy Castor. Beltran featured a photo of himself alongside Trump on his website in August, then removed it as the midterms drew closer, and his site now has no mention of Trump.
Others have attempted a delicate balancing act in order not to feel the wrath of the president, such as Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts, who is in a close race with independent challenger Dan Osborn in the red state.
Ricketts is one of 11 Republican candidates whom Reuters identified as having criticized Trump on one issue—in this case, the plan to expand beef imports—while still supporting him elsewhere. Ricketts also joined Trump for a midterm campaign rally in Nebraska on Monday.
In a statement to Reuters, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump remains “the unequivocal leader, best messenger and unmatched motivator” for the party.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for further comment.
The Republican National Committee said the party remained committed to Trump.
“Unlike the Democrats who are in a full-blown civil war with extremists, Republicans remain united behind the President’s agenda of cutting taxes, lowering drug costs, and securing our communities. We are laser-focused on winning, and our candidates will run the races necessary to best represent their districts and prevent Democrats from taking control,” RNC National Press Secretary Natalie Baldassarre said in a statement.
