With the midterm elections just six weeks away, a growing number of Republican elected officials and candidates are distancing themselves from — and in some cases openly breaking with — President Donald Trump.
asserted
number → grow → Trump
On the campaign trail and social media, they have voiced concerns about the war in Iran, gasoline prices, immigration enforcement and other issues that polls indicate are unpopular with voters.
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polls → voice → voters
A small group has gone further, voting to rein in the president.
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group → go → president
“I said it in March: the mission had to stay focused and limited, because Americans do not want another forever war,” Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said this month before voting to restrict Trump’s war authority in Iran.
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Meeks → say → Iran
“I will not vote to keep our soldiers in an open-ended war, with Iowans paying too much at the pump.
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Iowans → vote → pump
The increased willingness to openly defy the GOP president comes as his approval rating hovers near historic lows and as polls suggest Republicans could face a midterm shellacking — potentially costing them control of both the House and Senate.
Fearing he may dampen their electoral chances, Republicans in some of the nation’s most competitive races have made clear that they do not want Trump on the campaign trail.
uncertain
want → increase → trail
“We've told them he cannot come," a senior Republican operative told Politico earlier this month.
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operative → tell → Politico
Still, while some GOP lawmakers have bucked and ducked Trump — not an uncommon dynamic for lame-duck presidents — most have publicly supported Trump’s signature policies.
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most → buck → policies
Trump has also vowed to aggressively hit the campaign trail over the coming weeks.
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Trump → vow → weeks
When reached for comment by The Independent, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said touted a list of Trump’s accomplishments.
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Ingle → reach → accomplishments
“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 said.
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Ingle → commit → Congress
“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
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401(k)s → sign → highs
,” he added.
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he → add → ?
“The choice has never been more clear: doubling down on President Trump’s winning, commonsense agenda or the Democrats’ extreme liberal policies and obstruction.”
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choice → double → agenda
Iran war
One issue that has drawn vocal opposition from some Republicans has been the Iran war, which has stretched on for seven months, leading to the deaths of at least 18 service members and costing taxpayers billions.
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which → draw → billions
On September 15, the House passed a war powers resolution that sought to force Trump to end hostilities without congressional authorization.
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that → pass → authorization
It was the third time the House approved the largely symbolic measure.
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House → approve → measure
But the vote was notable because a record seven Republicans broke with their party to join Democrats in supporting it.
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Republicans → break → it
Along with Miller-Meeks, Rep. Zach Nunn of Iowa voted for the resolution and explained his decision in a social media post.
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Nunn → vote → post
Nunn said Iran must be held accountable for its actions but argued that the Trump administration has failed to clearly define its objectives.
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administration → say → objectives
“Iowa has already paid a devastating price, including two service members killed by an Iranian drone in Kuwait,” Nunn wrote.
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Nunn → pay → Kuwait
“Congress owes them, their families, and every American in uniform clear objectives and constitutional oversight.”
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Congress → owe → objectives
“Having deployed multiple times and flown over 700 combat hours in the Middle East, I will not support another open-ended war,” he added.
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he → deploy → war
Other GOP lawmakers have echoed that view, saying they oppose Iran but believe the Trump administration’s prosecution of the war — and its justification for it — has fallen short.
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prosecution → echo → it
“As I’m talking to Alaskans, they’re saying, ‘Wait a minute, he said we were going to be in and out in a matter of weeks,” Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said this month.
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Murkowski → talk → weeks
The war has driven U.S. gas prices sharply higher.
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war → drive → prices
On Tuesday, the national average for a gallon of gasoline stood at $4.47, up from $2.98 two days before the conflict began, according to AAA.
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conflict → stand → AAA
Trump has characterized the higher costs at the pump as a “small price to pay” for neutralizing Iran.
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Trump → characterize → Iran
But a vocal minority of Republicans have made clear that they do not share that view.
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share → make → view
“Prices are too high,” Nebraska Rep. Mike Flood told The Hill last month.
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Flood → tell → Hill
“I don’t want to dismiss that.
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I → want → that
It’s important.
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It → ’ → ?
It’s something that every single person talks about in my district and across the country.”
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person → ’ → country
He added: “As it relates to gas prices, you’ve gotta, you know … play the hand you’re dealt.”
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you → add → hand
Other GOP lawmakers have gone further, pressing the administration to take steps aimed at easing pain at the pump.
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lawmakers → go → pump
Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is running for the U.S. Senate, has proposed a temporary ban on diesel exports as a way to lower prices.
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who → run → prices
“Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran,” she wrote on X on Monday.
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she → squeeze → Monday
A week earlier, Maryland Rep. Andy Harris introduced legislation to suspend the federal gas tax.
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Harris → introduce → tax
Americans are paying more at the pump, and Washington shouldn’t be making it worse,” he wrote on X.
Immigration, tariffs
Trump’s handling of several other unpopular issues has also prompted pushback from a small number of Republicans.
Earlier this year, the House narrowly voted to revoke tariffs that Trump placed on Canada.
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Trump → pay → Canada
Several Republicans crossed over to join Democrats in advancing the measure.
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Republicans → cross → measure
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
