Donald Trump is nowhere near a ballot this election cycle, yet Republican congressional candidates are behaving as though he's the only thing voters care about. His endorsement has become the central battleground currency in competitive GOP primaries, with candidates desperate to claim his backing and opponents scrambling to exploit any perceived distance from the former president.
The dynamic reveals Trump's outsized influence over Republican politics even as his approval ratings have slipped. Whether he endorses a candidate or targets them for defeat, the stakes feel existential to those running.
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, facing a Trump-backed primary challenger, has built his advertising strategy around straddling an awkward line. His spots emphasize agreement with Trump on most issues while simultaneously touting his willingness to challenge any president, including Trump, on federal spending. At the same time, Massie's campaign portrays his opponent, Trump-endorsed Ed Gallrein, as a traitor for registering as an independent during Trump's first term.
Gallrein's side hardly ignores the former president either. Ads from his campaign and allied groups lead with Trump's endorsement, with one 15-second spot framing Gallrein as the president's personally selected choice for the seat.
The pattern repeats across multiple races. In Ohio, Rep. Dave Joyce, a moderate Republican facing a primary challenge from the right, runs an ad called
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