Some Republicans in competitive races are so wary of appearing with President Donald Trump that one GOP strategist joked his candidates would fake an illness if the president came to town, according to a new report.
Politico asked a Republican operative working on midterm races what would happen if the 80-year-old president campaigned in a battleground state where his candidates were running, and he joked that his candidate would probably fake illness to stay away from him.
"I suspect my candidates would come down with COVID," that operative said.
Candidates in close contests are worried that campaigning with Trump could alienate undecided voters who are frustrated by high gas prices, ongoing economic worries and the prolonged war in Iran. But keeping the president at a distance could make it harder to turn out low-propensity base voters, who have reliably shown up only for Trump.
"These guys are in a pickle," a national GOP operative told Politico. "They may not want Trump to come to the district, but there are still things that Trump can do to help."
Trump has stepped up his travel in the closing stretch before the Nov. 3 election, with stops planned in Ohio, Oklahoma, Alabama, Nebraska and Alaska. He has also repeatedly urged voters to "pretend" he is on the ballot.
Two people with direct knowledge of the matter said some Republicans have urged Trump's team not to send him to a blue-leaning district in Omaha, Nebraska, or to other key districts where his approval rating is underwater.
Brinker Harding is the GOP candidate for the Omaha seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE). His campaign did not respond when asked whether he would attend Trump's upcoming rally in Grand Island, about two hours away.
A senior Republican involved in a House battleground race said the president's team had repeatedly offered a visit, even though Trump comfortably won the district in 2024.
"They've called me four times now to see if we want him to come, and I've said no," the Republican said.
Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) also said he did not think a Trump visit would help in North Carolina. Former RNC Chair Michael Whatley is struggling there to close the gap with former Gov. Roy Cooper in the Senate race.
"I don't think he's the one who's going to get them out," Tillis said of independent voters.
Whatley's campaign disagreed. "Who drives R turnout right now in NC — Trump or Tillis? We would welcome Trump back to NC," senior adviser Jonathan Felts said.
Trump's base may be a tough sell as well. In an August Politico poll, a 44 percent plurality of MAGA Trump voters said the Iran war had made things more expensive for them.
The White House pushed back, calling Trump the "unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party." The Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee said their candidates are eager to campaign with the president.