Republican Candidates Distance Themselves From Donald Trump in Midterms
Republican House and Senate candidates are largely excluding Donald Trump from midterm advertisements as his approval ratings decline.
Republican candidates for the House and Senate have significantly reduced the presence of Donald Trump in their midterm election advertisements. Between September 9 and October 17, candidates spent less than 1% of their advertising budgets on spots mentioning the president, a sharp decline from the Republican primaries when 55% of spending was Trump-related.
This strategic shift occurs despite requests from the president for voters to "pretend I’m on the ballot." The distancing follows a drop in the president's approval ratings, prompting candidates to pivot toward bipartisan results or specific policy disagreements. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska highlighted his efforts to force the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files, while Michigan nominee Mike Rogers used advertisements to distance himself from the trade war with Canada.
In contrast, Democrats have spent 20% of their advertising budgets on spots mentioning Trump. These advertisements focus on his tariffs, health-care cuts, and the war with Iran in an effort to tie Republican candidates to the president's unpopular agenda.
