At Least 7 GOP House Candidates Scrub Trump From Websites as Approval Stays in the 30s
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 5
At Least 7 GOP House Candidates Scrub Trump From Websites as Approval Stays in the 30s
2 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 5
Summary
At least seven Republican House candidates in battleground races have removed or softened mentions of Donald Trump on campaign websites before the general election, shifting toward messages on costs, taxes and local issues.
The rewrites reflect a general-election squeeze: Trump’s approval has hovered in the mid-30s and he has drawn backlash over the Iran war, even as his backing still matters with Republican primary voters.
Mike Beltran, Ralph Alvarado, Mike Bouchard and Joe Mitchell were among candidates who cut homepage references to Trump or “America First,” though some still highlight his endorsement on social media or deeper website pages.
The caution comes as Trump pushes himself to the center of the midterms with a Dallas party convention next week and a super PAC, MAGA Inc., holding more than $400 million for the fall campaign.
Republican campaigns said the edits were routine or reflected a post-primary pivot, while Democrats argued the changes show vulnerable candidates trying to escape a politically damaging president.