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Weeks before the American midterm elections, many Republican candidates made headlines by distancing themselves from President Donald Trump, who wants to make this election a referendum on him.
Peter Loge, a professor of political communication at George Washington University, said that "Donald Trump, who is generally unpopular," is a "constraint and chain for most Republican candidates."
In a campaign video aired last week, Republican Congresswoman Ana Maria Elvira Salazar denounced the White House's policy against immigrants.
The Florida representative, whose state has a large Hispanic population, said, "Mr. President, some of your immigration measures have gone too far."
Salazar, who was recently a loyal ally of Donald Trump, added that "the Latinos themselves who helped you return to the White House in 2024 now feel betrayed."
Also, Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers of Michigan stated in a campaign video on Monday that "the war in Iran must be ended to reduce costs."
In Iowa, Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson urged more efforts to provide assistance to Americans, who "should not pay for the war in Iran at gas stations or at points of sale."
Political Mistake
A survey conducted by Ipsos and published on Monday showed that 32% of Americans have a positive view of the Republican administration, the lowest level since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
Peter Loge said that some of Trump's policies are "particularly toxic," citing the trade war with Canada, his immigration campaign that "far exceeds what most Americans want," and current fuel prices.
He added, "This is not a good year for Republican candidates," considering that relying on Donald Trump in election campaigns would be a "political mistake" for the right.
An analysis by CNN for the first two weeks of September shows that only 12 out of 500 Republican television campaign ads mentioned the president.
However, Trump is doing everything he can to link the upcoming elections to him.
Addressing his supporters at the Republican Convention in Dallas earlier this month, he said, "You have to pretend that I am a candidate."
However, many party figures have distanced themselves from this major event, including Senator Susan Collins, who is running for re-election in Maine.
A Small Difference
According to Mike Fahey, a political communications consultant, Republicans do not suddenly decide to take an ideologically independent stance.
He said, "Candidates distance themselves from issues where the political pressure is greater," considering that "the message is not necessarily +I am against Trump+," but rather, "I am an independent person."
Moreover, the distance some candidates take is not absolute. On her campaign website, Ashley Hinson always emphasizes the support Donald Trump has given her.
For its part, the Republican Party told Politico that candidates need the necessary adjustments to their campaigns, noting that the president realizes that some issues require a "small difference" to win.
However, Trump has repeatedly shown limited tolerance towards his opponents.
In response to the video published by Maria Elvira Salazar on immigration, the Republican president confirmed that he still supports the candidate but could not help but criticize her for being "a bit lenient" on border control.
While it remains to be seen whether the distancing strategy will succeed, Mike Fahey confirmed that "it largely depends on whether voters see this distancing as genuine or just an electoral gimmick."
He said, "Voters are very good at recognizing when a politician changes the cover without changing the product."
AFP
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