Report: Republicans Are Being Advised to Avoid Any Mention of Trump to Scoop 2022 Midterm Wins
© AP Photo / Patrick Semansky
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As the US approaches the midterm elections, the Republican Party appears to be divided. While endorsing Trump proved to be a successful strategy in the Republican primaries, numerous Republicans in competitive districts are reportedly trying to take the focus away from the former president.
As politicos get ready for the general election, Republican candidates and incumbents in crucial battleground races have been receiving quite the advice from the man in charge of the House GOP's campaign strategy, CNN reported on Friday.
The advice is rather simple: do not get sidetracked by ex-President Donald Trump on the campaign trail, instead, concentrate on the issues Republicans believe will be most important to voters in the midterm elections.
Citing sources within the party, the reported detailed the recommendation from Representative Tom Emmer of Minnesota reflects a tacit admission by Republican leaders that the former president could derail the party's midterm messaging as they attempt to regain the majority of the House this fall.
Additionally, it supposedly marks a departure from the approach used in many Republican primaries, when it was believed that in order to survive and win the race, one had to embrace Trump - or at the very least avoid upsetting him and his supporters.
"Tom Emmer, and I think Kevin (McCarthy) and Steve (Scalise), are all saying we should be focusing on the issues - and they're right," Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said. "Our focus should be on 2022. If it's 2024, it hurts us. .. We need to be focused on winning this November, and I think anything that takes your eyes off that, it could cost us a couple of victories."
The National Republican Congressional Committee chairman has reportedly advised candidates to concentrate on issues that matter to voters, such as inflation, crime, and the border.
"Candidates know their districts best," NRCC communications director Michael McAdams is quoted in the report. "Public and private polls show the midterms will be a referendum on Joe Biden and Democrats' failed agenda that's left voters paying record prices, dealing with soaring violent crime and facing billions in middle-class tax hikes."
Emmer's advice, however, may become more difficult to implement, particularly if Trump declares his intention to run for president before the midterm elections, the report found. Additionally, some Republican officials, such as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, are reportedly desperately trying to prevent that from happening.
15 August 2022, 18:59 GMT
According to insiders, even if the former president enjoys being in the limelight, GOP leaders want the midterm elections to be a referendum on President Joe Biden and the Democrats - not on Trump.
For the GOP base, the latest FBI raid at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence has reportedly been like rocket fuel, spurring a rise in funding and uniting Republicans behind Trump.
However, the outlet's sources asserted it has also presented some GOP members with a conundrum. As they prepare for the election, where winning over moderate and suburban voters is essential, they are debating how much to bring up Trump in competitive districts.
Before the recess, McCarthy told CNN he sees Trump as essential to their efforts to retake the House this year.
To keep his attention firmly fixed on 2022, he nonetheless reportedly thinks Trump should postpone any presidential campaign until after the midterm elections. McCarthy, though, rejected the notion that the impending election will be anything other than an indictment of the party currently in office.
"The No. 1 thing that (Trump) wants, and America wants, is to put this economy back on track," McCarthy said. "The real question is, are you better off than you were two years ago? Does a car cost more? Does your gas cost more? Does your food cost more?"
Meanwhile, unnamed US lawmakers told the outlet they only bring up the former president in their public speeches when specifically asked about him, while another congressperson claimed they attempt to focus on showcasing Trump's ideas and legislative successes. Another third of contenders claimed they avoid getting caught up in the daily Trump whirlwind.
"I don't say his name, ever. I just avoid saying his name generally," one of the undisclosed Republican lawmakers said. "I talk about the policies of his that I like."
In order to win the majority, Republicans are counting on Biden's low approval ratings, historical patterns, and the still-high (though-declining) cost of commodities and gas. Republicans just need to gain five seats in the House to take control of the lower chamber.
According to the report, McCarthy intends to release a formal policy agenda for his conference in the upcoming weeks. His intention allegedly was to provide a document by the end of the summer so that members could run on it in the upcoming elections.
Trump, who is the subject of ongoing criminal, civil, and congressional investigations, still looms large within the party and supposedly poses a threat to overshadow the GOP's favored talking points and policy objectives. In light of how the FBI probe has energized the base, even some of Trump's Republican detractors have felt obligated to publicly defend him.
17 August 2022, 19:48 GMT
