Donald Trump isn't on the ballot but he's giving his ranting rallies around the country for the next several months before the 2022 election as Trumpism appears before midterm voters.
Some Republicans don't want anything to do with Trump, as they pivot to appeal to a broader general election voting bloc. Washington Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley is among those GOP candidates who were caught off-guard when asked about Trump. Refusing him would turn them into a target. Bringing him into their campaign would destroy their chances of pulling over mainstream voters.
Politico spoke to Pennsylvania MAGA Republicans who attended the latest Trump rally. While many of them said they'd vote for Mehmet Oz, they weren't all that excited about it.
“I’m 50-50 on him, personally,” said Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Bloomsburg University student Dylan Smith. He explained that Oz isn’t conservative enough when it comes to banning transgender people. He was miffed when Oz tried to push Trump away after the GOP primary. Oz deleted photos of Trump and stopped talking about his "friend" from Florida. “He has removed Trump’s endorsement on his site. … So I’m iffy on him."
It gives Democratic super PACs a unique opportunity to tell MAGA Republicans how quick Oz was to flee from the voters that got him through the primary.
“At first, we were lukewarm to Dr. Oz, but he’s certainly better than the Fetterman choice,” landscape designer Dave Resavage said. “He may not be our first choice, but that’s life like that.”
