With five weeks to the midterms, some Republican candidates are distancing themselves from Donald Trump, whose approval hit 32% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Iowa’s Ashley Hinson and Michigan’s Mike Rogers called for an end to the Iran war.
Other signs of distance included Florida gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds’ campaign site removing most references to Trump and moving his endorsement to a less prominent section; Donalds later said he was proud of the endorsement. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar said Trump’s deportation push had gone “too far,” while Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said ICE should coordinate with local law enforcement.
Neither Hinson nor Rogers named Trump in their statements; Hinson had repeatedly voted against measures directing him to stop the war, and Rogers had previously supported his Iran efforts. Republican pollster Brent Buchanan said his polling found 12% of Trump voters were wavering on backing a GOP congressional candidate. Democrats were widely favored to win the House and need four net Senate seats to take control. The White House called Trump the party’s “unequivocal leader.”
