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Most Republicans in tight midterm races distance themselves from Trump, Reuters review finds
Reuters found 41 of 62 competitive Republican candidates are reducing ties to Trump as they court independent voters and avoid his low approval rating.
A Reuters review found two-thirds of Republican candidates in competitive House and Senate races have broken with President Donald Trump on policy or played down ties to him, with 41 of 62 contested races showing candidates seeking distance ahead of November 3 midterms.
Trump's approval rating has plummeted to a career-low 32%, while registered voters prefer Democrats over Republicans 44% to 37%, and among independent voters Democrats lead 37% to 21%, creating political pressure on Republicans defending Congress.
Policy disagreements emerged as the most common divergence, appearing in 23 of 62 races, with the Iran conflict driving 12 contests where vulnerable Republicans voted to curb Trump's war powers or called for an end to fighting that raised gas prices.
A dozen candidates removed Trump's name, image or endorsements from campaign websites mostly after securing nominations, including Mike Beltran in Florida, whose homepage now features only him and his family with no Trump reference.
Senator Pete Ricketts and Representative Mike Lawler exemplify 11 candidates balancing Trump support on most issues while breaking with him on specific policies; Republican consultant Jeanette Hoffman said candidates are trying to capitalize on administration successes while creating distance because of how toxic the Trump brand has become.