Trump looms large over Republican congressional primaries
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President Trump at an appearance in Miami Beach, Fla., on March 27. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump will not be on the ballot this year, but you might not know it based on the ads being run by Republicans in competitive congressional primaries.
Why it matters: Even as his approval rating droops amid rising gas prices and a sluggish economy, the president is still one of the most potent forces in Republican politics.
- His endorsement is highly coveted by Republican congressional candidates, and the threat of his ire and anti-endorsement are often fear-inducing enough to keep would-be GOP defectors in line.
Driving the news: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), one of Trump's top primary targets this year, is blanketing the airwaves with ads saying he agrees with Trump "nearly all of the time."
- "It's why in the past I've endorsed him, and he's endorsed me," Massie says in the spot, adding that he's "one of the few Republicans in Washington who stands up to every president, including president Trump" on federal spending.
- In another ad, Massie's campaign hits Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein, for registering as an independent during Trump's first term, calling him "not just a Trump hater, a Trump traitor."
The other side: Gallrein's campaign and outside groups supporting him are sure to mention that Trump has endorsed the ex-Navy SEAL nearly every ad.
- One 15-second ad called "handpicked" focuses entirely on Trump's endorsement, quoting a news anchor who called him the president's "handpicked choice" for the seat.
Zoom out: Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), the former chair of the moderate Republican Governance Group who is facing a primary challenge to his right from a former county commissioner, has an ad that — like Gallrein's — focuses entirely on his loyalty to the president.
- The ad, called "Stands with Trump," touts that Joyce "has President Trump's 'complete and total endorsement for reelection'" and urges voters to "stand with President Trump" by voting for him.
- Several candidates in open House Republican primaries, such as Chuck Gray in Wyoming and Madison Sheahan in Ohio, are similarly running ads playing up their ties to the president as much as possible.
