Ahead of Midterm Elections, Republicans Begin to Distance Themselves from Trump: "No Longer Helpful"

Incumbent Republican Lawmakers Air Direct Ads Targeting Trump
Democrats Aim to Put Trump in the Spotlight

With the upcoming U.S. midterm elections in November, the Republican Party is taking steps to distance itself from President Donald Trump.

U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On September 17 (local time), CNN reported that Republican candidates have begun actively dissociating themselves from President Trump, as boasting close ties with him no longer helps them win votes.

Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida), U.S. Representative, directly criticizes President Donald Trump's immigration policies in her political advertisement released on the 17th (local time). YouTube capture

Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican representative running for a fourth term in Florida’s 27th congressional district, released a political advertisement in which she directly criticizes President Trump. Representative Salazar stated, “Some of your immigration enforcement policies have gone too far,” and pointed out, “The very Hispanic people who helped you win the White House in 2024 now feel betrayed.” Her decision to address immigration enforcement appears to stem from the fact that three-quarters of her district’s population is Hispanic. Florida, in particular, is known for its active immigration enforcement.

Representative Salazar also cited statistics showing that 50% of those detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in July had no criminal record, and called for guaranteeing immigrants a dignified life in the land of opportunity.

Other Republican lawmakers have shifted their strategy to minimize any mention of President Trump. Notably, there has not been a single advertisement featuring Trump's promise that “if the Republican Party wins the midterm elections, every American adult will be given $5,000 (approximately 6.95 million won).”

According to CNN, of the more than 500 Republican ads produced from September 1 to 15—with total production costs amounting to $160 million (about 222.2 billion won)—only 12 TV commercials (costing $1 million, or about 1.38 billion won) mentioned Trump. This accounts for less than 1% of the total production costs.

In contrast, Democratic lawmakers have actively brought President Trump into the election arena. Democratic advertisers spent about $23 million (about 3.2 billion won) on 95 ads mentioning Trump during the same period, which amounts to about 20% of their total advertising expenses. They are employing strategies that link public discontent with economic and Iranian issues to their Republican opponents. In fact, House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark stated that voters feel the Democratic Party is more attentive to helping them overcome economic hardships, such as the cost of living burden.

CNN commented, “The fact that the President barely appears in Republican ads shows just how much of a political liability he has become.” The report added, “This stands in stark contrast to President Trump’s efforts to make himself the centerpiece of the midterm elections.”

However, there are still candidates who emphasize their collaboration with President Trump, such as New York Republican Representative Mike Lawler, who highlights his work with Trump on tax cut legislation.

Meanwhile, in the 2006 midterm elections held during President George W. Bush’s administration, the Democratic Party reclaimed both the House and Senate amid voters’ dissatisfaction with Bush and the Iraq War. The Democratic Party currently views the election environment as similarly favorable to that of 2006 and is optimistic about its prospects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.