As midterm elections approach, Republican candidates weigh how closely
to align with Trump
[August 28, 2026]
By STEVE PEOPLES and JILL COLVIN
NEW YORK (AP) — “AIR FORCE VETERAN. SMALL BUSINESSMAN. TRUMP
CONSERVATIVE.”
The all-caps headline on Texas Republican congressional candidate Carlos
De La Cruz's website used to align him with President Donald Trump. Not
anymore.
“NATIVE TEXAN. AIR FORCE VETERAN. SMALL BUSINESSMAN. PROVEN
CONSERVATIVE,” it reads now.
De La Cruz's campaign rejected any suggestion he was backing away from
the president, whose knack for mobilizing his loyalists remains critical
for Republicans in this fall's midterm elections. The overwhelming
majority of Republicans on the ballot this fall are embracing Trump
despite his dismal approval ratings, an unpopular war with Iran and
lingering inflation.
However, as the two-month sprint to Election Day begins, a small
collection of Republican candidates have quietly begun to distance
themselves in subtle ways from Trump now that they've won contested
primaries in which his endorsement was often the most coveted prize. The
shift is easy to miss, often only a few words or new pictures. And
Republicans insist there is no shift at all.
Mike Marinella, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional
Committee, called it a “manufactured storyline.”
“President Trump and House Republicans have delivered historic results
for the American people, and our candidates are eager to take that
record directly to voters alongside the President on the campaign
trail,” he said.
But from California to Texas and Kentucky to Alaska, candidates in
recent weeks have tweaked their campaign messaging to downplay their
connection to Trump. A handful of others have highlighted their
opposition to his policies.
It's an extremely delicate balance for vulnerable Republican candidates,
who must expand their appeal beyond Trump's MAGA base to win in the
general election this fall, but are also afraid to trigger a backlash
from Trump or his hard core supporters if they create too much distance.
Trump's unpopularity could weigh down his party
Most candidates are still wrapping their arms around Trump.
Republican allies of the president argue there is little upside for
candidates to turn away from Trump, despite his weak polling numbers.
Democrats will try to cast every Republican running as a Trump acolyte,
regardless of their actual stances, they said, and midterm successes
typically depend on turning out base voters. Trump remains the
Republican Party's best motivator.
“The whole Republican brand is that we’re aligned with Trump so you gain
nothing from it,” said Jason Roe, a Republican who advises Rep. Tom
Barrett, who is fighting for reelection in a competitive mid-Michigan
district race.
It is typical for candidates from both sides to tweak their messages
after primary elections. Some Democrats, for example, have begun
pitching themselves as moderates after highlighting endorsements from
progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders during their primaries.
Still, the slight shift among at least a half-dozen Republican
congressional candidates could signal the beginning of a more
significant move within the party as the weight of Trump's unpopularity
with the general public comes into view at a critical moment. Just 33%
of adults approve of Trump's job performance, according to Associated
Press-NORC polling from July. And Trump gets relatively poor ratings on
his handling of the economy, immigration and foreign policy.
Meanwhile, Trump will not make it easy for vulnerable Republicans to
avoid him. As voters typically begin paying much closer attention to
politics after Labor Day, the president will headline a two-day
Republican convention in Dallas as he urges voters to act as if he were
on the ballot.
“The problem that we have is they say that Trump does great when he’s on
the ballot, but when he’s not on the ballot, his people don’t come,”
Trump said as he recently stumped in South Carolina.
“So what I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the
ballot,” he went on. “Just say that I’m on the ballot one more time.”
Shifting emphasis moving into the general election
A number of Republicans have removed or downplayed references to Trump
from their websites after winning their primaries.
Eric Flores, a former assistant U.S. Attorney and Texas Army National
Guard infantry captain running against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez
Jr. in South Texas, once featured “SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S AGENDA” as
No. 2 in his list of priorities on his campaign homepage.
That item has now been replaced with “ LOWER THE COST OF LIVING,” a top
issue for voters. Trump does not appear anywhere else on the website,
aside from a list of endorsements that previously appeared on the
homepage but has been moved to a separate page.
Flores' campaign declined to comment.
In Kentucky, Ralph Alvarado, running to represent the overwhelmingly
Republican 6th Congressional District, removed all references to Trump
from his campaign homepage, as well as a photo of the two of them
together after winning his primary in May. He now promises to offer
“INDEPENDENT LEADERSHIP” after previously running as an “AMERICA FIRST
FIGHTER.”
NBC News first reported the changes to Alvarado’s website. Campaign
manager Andy Westberry noted Trump's photo still appears elsewhere in a
media gallery. “The socialists are going to have to do a lot better than
this nonsense to win this district,” he said in a statement.
Some changes do not mean Trump has been erased.
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President Donald Trump listens as a reporter asks a question in the
Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in
Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
While De La Cruz no longer touts himself as a “TRUMP CONSERVATIVE” at
the top of his homepage, a video that is embedded lower down features
the Air Force veteran speaking at a Trump rally.
He still calls himself a “TEXAS TRUMP CONSERVATIVE” on his bio page and
lists “Supporting President Trump’s America First Agenda” as among his
priorities on a “Mission” page.
But the bio section has also been tweaked. It once described him as
“ready to be President Trump’s wingman in Congress.” That section now
says he is running because he “believes America needs more servant
leaders and fewer corrupt politicians” and “because he’s not finished
serving the country he loves.”
De La Cruz campaign manager Jordan Pawlicki said in a statement that,
during the primary, several candidates were claiming the president’s
endorsement, so the campaign “put it front and center.”
“Carlos is honored to have President Trump’s support, which is why the
President is featured prominently across our website,” Pawlicki said.
Republicans downplay any changes to their messaging
In Nevada, Republican congressional candidate Marty O'Donnell's website
featured Trump prominently in June. The very first thing visitors saw
was a pop-up with a large picture of Trump and a smiling O'Donnell
standing side by side. The words “President Trump endorsed Marty
O'Donnell” were written beneath the image.
Two months later, the photo does not appear on the website. O'Donnell's
campaign said the photo was not intentionally removed; the change was
simply the standard rotation of the “splash page.”
O'Donnell adviser Keith Schipper noted that O'Donnell, a music composer
best known for his work on the “Halo” video game series, has not
deviated from his steadfast support for Trump.
“Republicans are embracing President Trump on the campaign trail because
they know he is the key to getting his voters out in November,” Schipper
said. “The president has delivered on the agenda he promised voters in
2024 and Republicans are smartly using it to win this year.”
There was another subtle shift in Alaska's House race, where Republican
Rep. Nick Begich is running for reelection.
In June, he highlighted his relationship to Trump on the homepage of his
website: “Alongside President Trump, we have made great gains for
Alaska, putting us on a path to self-determination and generational
success.”
This week, nothing in that section has been changed, except for the
opening line that previously mentioned Trump. Now, that line reads, “We
have delivered for Alaska, putting us on a path to self-determination
and generational success.”
Begich's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Some are emphasizing their independence
Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican who represents a district
carried by Kamala Harris in the last election, appeared on stage with
the president during a rally in his district just three months ago. But
does he want Trump to return before Election Day?
“If he comes back, that’s fine, but ultimately this race is going to be
decided by my record and my vision,” Lawler said in an interview.
Lawler supported Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill,” but he’s quick
to highlight policy differences, especially on taxes. Trump does not
appear on Lawler’s campaign website.
On Thursday, Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor in
Wisconsin who is closely aligned with Trump, publicly criticized the
president's decision to sign an order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake
America” as part of his trade war with Canada.
“I believe the Great Lakes are the Great Lakes and should stay Lake
Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario,” he said, according to the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Earlier this week, he came out against Trump’s plan to import cheaper
ground beef in an effort to reduce prices.
Others want distance from Trump's unpopular war with Iran.
In Michigan, Rep. Barrett, who flipped a Lansing-area district two years
ago, has been highlighting his vote against Trump’s war in Iran on the
campaign trail as he competes against William Lawrence, a self-described
democratic socialist.
Barrett this year has repeatedly broken ranks with Republicans to join
Democrats in voting for the War Powers Resolution to rein in Trump’s
military campaign in Iran. And he has been promoting those votes,
promoting a recent town hall with constituents, by saying he would “be
having a discussion about the War Powers Act and my efforts to place
congressional limits on the war in Iran.”
Roe, the Republican who advises Barrett, said the vote was not about
some major break from Trump but a difference over a policy-specific
issue. Barrett served in the U.S. Army for over two decades.
“He’s willing to be at odds with the White House on this issue,” Roe
said. “It’s important to him.”
___
Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti reported from St. Joseph,
Michigan.
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