Republicans put distance between themselves and Trump

As the midterm elections draw near, several Republican politicians put some daylight between themselves and President Trump.

Reps. Monica De La Cruz of Texas and Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida recently criticized Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown as they run in heavily Hispanic districts.

Iowa Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn broke with the party to back a resolution to curb Mr. Trump’s military powers in Iran. They also skipped Vice President J.D. Vance’s rally in their state, where Mr. Trump’s tariff policies have hurt farmers.

Rep. Ashley Hinson — the GOP’s Senate nominee — also skipped the rally with Mr. Vance. She cited a scheduling conflict and has since sounded the alarm on the Iran war’s impact on her state.

“Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran,” Ms. Hinson said Monday on social media. “The war needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end.”

John Couvillon, a pollster, said candidates distancing themselves from Mr. Trump was a “self-preservation move.”

“They are seeing something in their polling, or they don’t like the vibes back in their district,” he said, adding the extent of the defections is notable given that loyalty to Mr. Trump has long served as a kind of litmus test within the party.

The trend will likely continue, he said.

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“Once the first person defects, it makes it easier for the second person, the third person and so forth,” Mr. Couvillon said.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre said the idea that Republicans are abandoning Mr. Trump is bogus.

“Despite exaggerated media reports, adding nuance to policy stances is a far cry from completely abandoning the president’s agenda,” she said. “At the end of the day, Republicans care about winning, and our candidates will run the races necessary to represent their districts and prevent Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer from taking control.”

Mr. Trump’s approval rating has hovered around 38% in recent weeks, weighed down by voter frustration over the high cost of living and the war in Iran. Most voters also disagree with the president’s steadfast support for data centers.

Congressional Republicans who are not up for reelection are also willing to break with Mr. Trump.

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Sen. John Curtis of Utah criticized the Trump family’s business dealings.

“A Russian oligarch paid for a lavish wedding after-party for Donald Trump Jr., which, to me, just stinks. It’s corruption. I don’t like it,” he said on social media.

He followed that up by calling on the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden as part of an investigation into the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit. “A toaster is a wedding gift,” Mr. Curtis said on X Tuesday. “A private-island party paid for by a Putin-connected oligarch is something else.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the longest-serving member of the upper chamber, pressed the administration on rising prices for diesel. He said it is “killing farmers’ income.”

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Though Mr. Trump is headed into lame duck territory after the midterms, he still wields enormous power in the Republican Party and has a history of exacting retribution against those deemed disloyal.

Rep. Tom Massie of Kentucky learned that the hard way after repeated breaks with the president on the Epstein files, the Iran strikes and U.S. aid to Israel. Mr. Massie lost his primary this year to Trump-backed Ed Gallrein and will be out of Congress in January.

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Seth McLaughlin

smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com

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