Republicans Want Trump’s Policies, but Less Trump
Republicans are reworking their strategy ahead of November’s midterm elections as rising gas prices, the Iran war and President Donald Trump’s falling approval ratings raise concerns about their chances of keeping control of Congress.
At a closed-door meeting this week with top campaign officials, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and pollster Tony Fabrizio, Trump’s advisers urged Republican candidates to focus on tax cuts and inflation while avoiding turning the election into a referendum on the president himself, according to Reuters sources familiar with the discussions.
Strategists fear Trump’s weakening popularity could hurt candidates in competitive House and Senate races. Only 36% of Americans currently approve of his job performance, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The party also faces growing political pressure from the war with Iran. Rising fuel prices, with the national average approaching $4 per gallon, threaten to overshadow Republicans’ new tax package and undermine Trump’s promise to lower living costs.
Democrats are expected to tie Republican candidates closely to Trump’s presidency and the economic fallout of the Iran conflict. Republican strategists therefore want campaigns to focus more heavily on local district issues rather than on Trump himself, even as he remains the party’s strongest figure for mobilizing conservative voters.