A number of Republican candidates facing tight races in November’s midterm elections have dropped mentions of President Donald Trump from their campaign websites, according to reports.
uncertain
number → face → reports
The president’s approval rating stands at just 33 percent in the latest Financial Times/Focaldata survey, with respondents again expressing concern over the state of the economy and the impact of Trump’s ongoing war with Iran on domestic gas prices.
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respondents → stand → prices
Despite the possibility of a wave of support for Democrats sweeping the opposition to power in the House of Representatives and Senate, Trump has insisted on placing himself front and center of GOP campaigning and is this week hosting a midterms convention for his party in Texas.
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Trump → sweep → Texas
At least 45 congressional Republicans – and first lady Melania Trump – have already made their excuses and will not be attending the event and it seems their wariness about being seen associating with such an unpopular commander-in-chief extends to campaigning.
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wariness → make → campaigning
The Washington Examiner reports that Florida state Rep. Mike Beltran, who is battling for Florida’s 14th Congressional District, has reworded his website so that it no longer claims he has motivated to enter politics because of Trump’s example and now states instead that he “felt called to public service” and that he is running to be a “champion for lower costs, lower taxes, and increased healthcare access.”
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he → report → costs
Similarly, according to NBC News, Kentucky House contender Ralph Alvarado is now promising “independent leadership,” having previously pitched himself as an “American First fighter.”
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Alvarado → accord → fighter
The Washington Post has found another five GOP House candidates in battleground races who had modified their sales patter to downplay allegiance to Trump.
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who → find → Trump
Michigan’s Mike Bouchard has reportedly moved a banner prominently displaying the president’s endorsement, Iowa’s Joe Mitchell no longer mentions Trump on a section of his site explaining why he is running for Congress (but does include pictures of the president elsewhere) while Texas’s Eric Flores, Alaska’s Nick Begich and Arizona’s Elijah Crane have revised references to their supporting Trump’s agenda.
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their → move → agenda
Jon Shiner, a spokesperson for Bouchard, told the Post, “Mike is proud of his endorsement by President Trump,” and said the updates to his site had been made to reflect the fact that he was now the party’s nominee for the seat, not a primary challenger.
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he → tell → seat
Drew Johns, Mitchell’s campaign manager, said in a statement: “Websites are updated all the time.
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Websites → say → statement
I don’t think anyone questions where Joe Mitchell stands on President Trump and the America First agenda.”
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Mitchell → think → Trump
Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for the House Republicans’ campaign committee, rubbished the matter as “nothing more than a manufactured storyline all to provide cover for Democrats who kissed the ring of their radical socialist leaders to survive their primaries and are now desperately hoping a phony moderate makeover will fool voters before November”.
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makeover → rubbish → November
Offering a counter interpretation, Washington Democratic Rep. Suzan DelBene said: “It’s easy to understand why those careening towards defeat are attempting to distance themselves from the President.
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those → offer → President
“Voters are angry at Republicans for making their lives worse and are ready – if not outright eager – to reject them in November.”
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lives → make → November
It was previously reported that some GOP campaign operatives have frankly told the president’s team not to weigh in on their candidates’ behalf, fearful of his intervention having an adverse impact.
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intervention → report → impact
“We’ve told them he cannot come,” a senior Republican working on a competitive House race told Politico Friday.
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Republican → tell → Politico
One House GOP competitor described the guidance they had received from pollsters and operatives in even blunter terms: “You’re f***ed if you mention him too much, and you’re also f***ed if you don’t stay in his good graces.”
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you → describe → graces
The president himself appears not to have got the message, however, and told guests at his Rose Garden barbecue last week that he intends to enter the fray for the final 30 days of campaigning.
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he → appear → campaigning
In addition to voters seemingly souring on Trump, Republicans have also been unnerved by the president’s hesitance in releasing his MAGA Inc. Pac’s campaign war chest to support failing candidates.
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Republicans → sour → candidates
Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy overtly appealed to him to release funding to help out Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during an appearance on Fox News last week, saying: “We in the Senate don’t have the money budgeted for Texas.
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money → appeal → Texas
We need help from the president.
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We → need → president
“The president says he has $850 million in his campaign accounts.
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he → say → accounts
That’s a lot of jack.
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That → ’ → jack
I’m hoping that the president’s gonna spend $100 or $200 million in Texas.
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president → hop → Texas
But he hasn’t committed to it yet.”
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he → commit → it
Trump has now done so, desperate to avoid the deep red Lone Star State turning blue for Paxton’s Democratic challenger James Talarico.
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State → do → challenger
The Aporia
