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. With just three weeks until voters head to the polls to decide who controls Congress for the latter half of Trump’s term, some Republicans are putting distance between themselves and Trump as the party faces significant political headwinds. Veteran GOP strategist Doug Heye told Fox News Digital that such a strategy at this juncture was "not a surprise." "It happens in midterms when presidents aren’t popular," Heye said.
"Add to that the more outlandish things he’s done — often on things that have nothing to do with lowering costs, ending the war with Iran, etc. — this was bound to happen." TRUMP VANISHES FROM GOP SENATOR'S CAMPAIGN WEBSITE AS POLL NUMBERS PLUNGE WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION It’s a similar situation to what’s played out with past presidents during a midterm election year, most recently with former President Joe Biden in 2022. And the Republican National Committee (RNC) is arguing that the party is united behind Trump, while conceding that GOP candidates have individual stakes. "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 spokeswoman Natalie Baldessarre said. And running their own races is what several are notably doing, balancing individuality with their support for Trump and the GOP base. At least two House Republicans, Reps.
Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., have touted conflict with Trump in advertisements. TRUMP-LINKED SUPER PAC PULLS FUNDING FROM 2 HOUSE REPUBLICANS AS GOP FIGHTS TO KEEP MAJORITY 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." One visual referenced a news article that said, "Kiggans bucks Trump on offshore wind." Meanwhile, Lawler recently released an advertisement in which he highlighted taking on "the left and the right," followed by a clip of Trump calling him a "pain in the a--" on state and local tax deduction issues. But for many, like Lawler, it’s a balancing act of trying to keep Trump and the GOP base happy, while courting independent voters.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said, "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." "President Trump is the unequivocal leader, best messenger and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party, and he is committed to maintaining Republican majorities in Congress," Ingle told Fox News Digital. "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. "The choice has never been more clear: doubling down on President Trump’s winning, commonsense agenda or the Democrats’ extreme liberal policies and obstruction." Still, the political tightrope was on full display when Lawler appeared on stage at Trump’s midterm convention in September, when he noted he and the president didn't "always agree." 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." Former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Sen. John Husted, R-Ohio, also notably appeared at Trump’s convention in Dallas.
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