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Battleground Republicans Distance Themselves From Trump Ahead of Midterms
Confirmed
In Short: Battleground Republicans are increasingly distancing themselves from President Donald Trump as the midterm elections approach.
Battleground Republicans are increasingly distancing themselves from President Donald Trump as the midterm elections approach, according to multiple reports.
In contrast, the Los Angeles Times noted that some Republicans are shifting their messaging on immigration, moving away from mass deportations and focusing instead on deporting criminals.
NPR and Kasu reported that Republican candidates and elected officials are starting to push back on core pieces of Trump's agenda, such as his handling of the Iran war and high prices.
Sarah Longwell, a GOP strategist and longtime critic of the president, told NPR, "You are starting to see the very beginnings of people recognizing that Trump just doesn't have the juice that he once did and starting to push back."
GOP strategist Ron Bonjean, founder of ROKK Solutions, said, "For a long time, Republicans have stuck with the president through thick and thin. But the ones who are facing real trouble at the polls need to differentiate themselves."
Despite these distancing efforts, Fox News contributor Byron York discussed President Trump's midterm strategy, emphasizing the need for Republicans to focus on campaigning.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) spokeswoman Natalie Baldessarre said, "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."
President Trump has also said he plans to campaign for dozens of Republicans running in competitive races in the lead-up to the midterm election on November 3.
However, the president's deep unpopularity is causing some Republicans in battleground states to separate themselves from his administration, his costly war with Iran, and his polarizing immigration policies.
Former Trump White House deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews, speaking with Bill Kristol, said Republicans are putting distance between themselves and Trump, fearing things could get even more reckless after the midterms.
Despite these tensions, Trump's supporters argue that he remains the best messenger and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party.
The growing distance between Republicans and Trump reflects a broader trend where unpopular presidents often lead to losses for their party in midterm elections.
Background
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to halt a $20 million taxpayer-funded advertising campaign promoting President Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections.
What's confirmed
- The president has long insisted on loyalty, but in recent weeks, a growing number of Republican candidates and elected officials have distanced themselves from core pieces of his agenda: from calling for an end to the U.S. war with Iran and relief from high prices, to criticizing his handling of key agenda issues like immigration.
What's still developing
- Battleground Republicans are breaking from President Donald Trump with increasing frequency as Election Day draws closer and the party fights to protect its congressional majorities.
- "The president signed the largest working-class tax cuts in history, lowered the cost of prescription drugs, sealed the border, drove violent crime to the lowest level in nearly a century, unleashed an energy revolution, added more than a million private-sector jobs and sent Americans’ 401(k)s climbing to record highs," Ingle continued.
- President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he arrives at the White House on Marine One, Sept. 23, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo) Kiggans is out with a new ad touting herself as "one of the most bipartisan members of Congress," who has taken on her "own party to protect jobs, and working with Democrats to save healthcare."
- "the only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor."
- "The choice has never been more clear: doubling down on President Trump’s winning, commonsense agenda or the Democrats’ extreme liberal policies and obstruction."
- "No one can dispute the fact that President Trump has created one of the most robust coalitions in political history with the MAGA movement, and the president understands how to communicate with them."
- He told Fox News Digital at the convention, "I fundamentally believe if you want to get things done, you have to be able to work with whoever the president is. And it's why I've consistently been rated among the most bipartisan and effective members of Congress."
- “Kern County was ground zero for these ICE raids last year. What did Valadao do or say about it. Absolutely nothing. This is somebody who likes to pretend they’re a moderate on immigration. He voted to triple ICE’s budget,” Villegas said in an interview, noting that he organized a local workshop with immigration attorneys.
- Republican leaders are largely staying in lockstep with President Donald Trump on artificial intelligence (AI) data centers ahead of the 2026 midterms amid growing calls from voters for Congress and states to take action on Big Tech.
- But while some tension is palpable, sparks do not fly — or at least, filmmakers Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace (whose previous rock docs include 2010’s Grammy-nominated “No Distance Left to Run,” about Oasis’ old ’90s rivals Blur) do not choose to show them if they do.
- Popular on Variety Although neither Noel nor Liam can help expressing themselves, in new on-camera interviews, in the candid manner that they always have, they remain not just on their best behavior, but also at what feels like a PR-trained remove.
- Jews prompt prominent Democrats to warn colleagues to distance themselves.