Most Republican Candidates Are Distancing Themselves from Trump on Policies, Analysis Shows

With less than a month until the midterm elections, most Republican candidates fighting for the most competitive seats in Congress are distancing themselves from President Donald Trump on issues that could hurt them with swing voters, according to a new review.

Reuters reached the conclusion after examining voting records, public statements and campaign materials in 62 competitive U.S. House and Senate races ahead of the November 3 elections. In 41 of them, Republican candidates either broke with Trump on at least one policy issue or downplayed their ties to the president.

However, the findings do not amount to a wholesale Republican rejection of Trump. Instead, they reveal that candidates are challenging the president selectively on issues that could hurt them with swing voters while generally continuing to support his broader agenda.

That balancing act comes as Republicans fight to retain control of Congress in a difficult national political environment. A Reuters/Ipsos poll completed Monday put Trump's approval rating at 32%, matching the lowest level of his political career.

Among registered voters, Democrats led Republicans 44% to 37% on the question of which party they planned to support in the midterms. The gap was even wider among independents, who favored Democrats 37% to 21%, while 28% remained undecided.

Policy disagreements were the most common way Republican candidates established some independence from Trump, appearing in 23 of the 62 races the outlet examined. The Iran war emerged as the biggest source of tension.

In 12 competitive races, Republican candidates either voted to restrict Trump's war powers or publicly called for an end to the fighting. The conflict has become an increasingly prominent campaign issue as higher energy prices have added pressure to household budgets.

AI data centers have created another divide. Reuters identified three Republican candidates in competitive races who criticized or sought to slow data center development, despite Trump's push to accelerate construction as part of his administration's artificial intelligence strategy.

The issue has become increasingly politically sensitive as voters raise concerns about electricity costs and the impact of large data centers on local communities. A separate Reuters/Ipsos survey released Wednesday found 57% of registered voters believe the Trump administration is not taking AI risks seriously enough or at all.

Other Republicans have challenged Trump over his proposal to expand beef imports. Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts, facing independent Dan Osborn, criticized Trump's beef plan but appeared alongside him at a Nebraska rally this week, telling the president he had been "fighting for you in Washington."

Reuters found that 12 Republican candidates removed Trump's name, photograph or endorsement from their campaign websites, most after winning their party's nomination. Other candidates have skipped presidential events or avoided saying whether they want Trump campaigning with them.

Trump remains the dominant figure in the party and retains strong support among Republican voters, making an outright break politically risky. At the same time, candidates in closely divided states and districts need voters outside the Republican base.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle rejected the idea that Trump's standing is a liability, telling the outlet that the president remains the party's "unequivocal leader, best messenger and unmatched motivator."