GOP warns rank-and-file members they risk alienating base by campaigning without Trump
WASHINGTON, DC: The Republican National Committee is warning House Republicans facing re-election this fall that keeping their distance from President Trump on the campaign trail could backfire with their own voters, even as a growing number of GOP candidates in competitive districts quietly try to do just that.
President Trump “is the biggest turnout machine for mid- to low-propensity voters, and we need those voters to get to the polls,” RNC national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre told 'Politico' in response to an article about GOP House members who are on the fence about their campaign strategies ahead of the November midterm elections.
GOP members face pressure over Trump campaign strategy
“If members are choosing to keep an arm’s length from the president, they risk alienating their base [and] they risk 15 to 20 percent of their key Republican voters not turning out because they don’t feel like they’re a good supporter of the president’s policies,” she said.
Politico recently reported that over two dozen GOP lawmakers, candidates, and strategists are quietly wrestling with how to manage Trump’s presence on the campaign trail this year.
And this tension isn’t just in swing districts, it’s happening even in places Trump won by large margins in 2024.
In fact, some Republicans running in competitive districts have told Trump’s team point-blank: stay away.
One GOP strategist involved in several statewide races didn’t mince words about the dilemma: "I think campaigns will and should use him and his brand in targeted ways like mail, digital, or text. But I'm not going to try to bring him to town if he's underwater and it's going to hurt us with a majority of voters."
Trump remains central to GOP midterm strategy
And the RNC announced last week that it will feature Trump both nights of the convention, not just once as was previously announced, including headlining on the same night as potential 2028 presidential candidate Vice President JD Vance.
“Americans will hear from rising stars in the Republican Party, Karoline Leavitt, President Trump, and many more,” Baldassarre told The Post
RNC convention puts Trump in the spotlight
“We’re putting front and center the contrast between Republicans’ historic achievements and Democrats’ desire to abolish police and prisons, raise costs, and strip away our freedoms.”
The event is expected to feature 109 speakers over the two nights.
Republicans who are on the ballot want Trump to unleash a $403 million war chest amassed by the MAGA Inc. super PAC.
The split leaves Republican strategists managing a delicate balancing act heading into November, with control of the House and Trump's own political brand both on the line.
