Republican candidates have chosen a new approach for the coming midterm elections. In 41 of 62 competitive congressional seats, the Republican candidate has publicly disagreed with Trump on at least one issue or is playing down closeness to him, a Reuters review has found.
They are not opposing Trump’s overall agenda. They are creating distance on specific issues such as the Iran war, beef imports and data centres. The aim is to win over independent voters who oppose Trump without losing his hardline supporters.
Policy differences were seen in 23 of the 62 races. In 12 of those seats Republican candidates disagreed with Trump over the Iran war: some voted to limit his war powers and others called for the war to end. With rising fuel prices putting pressure on ordinary people, the Iran war has become an important election issue.
Reuters identified 12 Republican candidates who have removed mentions of Trump’s name, picture or endorsement from their campaign websites. Some are avoiding his rallies, and others are dodging the question of whether Trump will campaign for them. Direct criticism of Trump is rare, however, because his influence in the Republican Party is still wide.
In a new Reuters/Ipsos poll Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 32%, the lowest of his presidency. For the midterms, 44% of registered voters back the Democrats and 37% the Republicans. Among independent voters the gap is wider: Democrats 37%, Republicans 21%.
Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said that if voters are not with Trump, candidates also have to show some distance. In the words of Republican consultant Jeanette Hoffman, it is a balancing act.
Candidates are making use of the Trump administration’s successes while creating distance from him because at this moment “the Trump brand is highly toxic”.
But however much the distance grows, most Republican candidates do not dare to cut ties with Trump altogether, because his hold over the party is still strong.
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