President Donald Trump during an event in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., September 2, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
A handful of Republican candidates have caused a stir with their efforts to distance themselves from President Donald Trump, but one GOP strategist dumped cold water on the idea during an MS NOW appearance, warning that most of the party remains too "afraid" to ditch him for the time being.
With the midterms fast approaching and Trump's approval ratings hitting historic lows, some Republicans, especially those in competitive battleground districts, have begun to distance themselves from the president to varying degrees. Some, like Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, have scrubbed mentions of Trump from their campaign sites. Others, like Florida Rep. María Elvira Salazar and Michigan Senate nominee Mike Rogers, have more explicitly broken with Trump's more unpopular policies.
Some, however, are warning observers not to put too much stock in this phenomenon as a growing trend. During a Monday appearance on MS NOW, Susan Del Percio, a political analyst who previously worked as a strategist for Republican lawmakers, explained why Trump is likely to hold sway over the GOP at least until he leaves office.
"We have seen Republicans from time to time step up and try and face Donald Trump head-on," Del Percio explained. "And we've seen a couple of candidates do it. But at the end of the day, most Republicans are afraid to do it because we're going to see the majority of Republican incumbents, even though it may be fewer than there are now, get reelected. And guess what? They worry about primaries in 18 months. They are afraid of Donald Trump. And the Republicans also need Donald Trump voters who are in tough districts."
She added: "And we see that, interestingly: I look at [New York Rep.] Mike Lawler's district in Westchester that [Kamala] Harris won narrowly. But Mike Lawler is running a competitive race, and he's not afraid to embrace Trump when it works for him. And he doesn't look like he's running away from him. At the same time, he stands up to Trump when it's necessary."
Del Percio agreed with host Jonathan Lemire's response, arguing that Trump poses a risk for Republicans with his cratering approval and the fact that he has left them with "very, very, very little to run on" in the midterms, but still stressed that the party's fear of Trump is winning out.
"Until he's out of office in January of 2029, he will influence primaries; there's no question about it," she concluded. "And anyone running for president on the Republican side or U.S. Senate or Congress will be worried about [his endorsements]."
