As midterm elections approach, Republican candidates weigh how closely to align with Trump

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 similarly 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.

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.

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.