GOP split deepens as some Republican lawmakers blame Trump for re-election worries

Republican Party representatives must now decide whether they are anti-Trump or anti-losing, according to members fighting for districts they never thought they would lose.

Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick failed to secure the Republican primary spot for Governor of New Jersey last year on the back of an anti-Trump campaign. The New Jersey Senate member still believes the president is a concern within the GOP and will be a deciding factor at the upcoming midterm elections.

Speaking to Politico, Bramnick said, "It’s so obvious when you look at the poll of Trump, you look at the Jack Ciattarelli catastrophe, you look at losses in my district that we haven’t lost in decades. I’ve got Republicans who tell me, ‘You’re just anti-Trump.’ No, no, no. I am anti-losing."

Tom Kean Jr. may also find himself at risk ahead of the November elections, with the Trump issue set to loom over his chances for re-election in New Jersey. Kean has represented New Jersey's 7th District in the House since 2023, and was succeeded by Bramnick in the New Jersey Senate seat in 2022.

Political advisors have since suggested Kean would be wise to distance himself from the president should he wish to hold onto his position.

Mike DuHaime, a former Republican campaign strategist, said, "It was already going to be tough because midterms are tough for the party in power. And I think on issues like this, Tom would be safe to carve a little space between him and the president."

Kean's opponents suggested now is the time to strike against the long-serving New Jersey GOP rep, with Rebecca Bennett saying, "Tom Kean Jr. has a tougher voting record than he did last cycle. This is the first time he's running with a Republican president in office."

Critics of Kean believe the GOP rep is not willing to take a hard stance against Trump, and that this may cost him ahead of the midterms.

In a statement made by the New Jersey House rep, Kean said the "overwhelming majority of residents" support the Trump administration's policy on "getting criminal illegal migrants off our streets".

Brian Varela, another Democrat running to challenge Kean, said the statement is "trying to soften the blow and improve his image" despite "not even coming out against the detention center."