GOP Candidates Keep Trump Out of Midterm Campaign Ads

WHO:

Fast Company - President Donald Trump campaigned for Republicans, promoting his record and asking voters to vote as if he were on the ballot.

Fast Company - Republican congressional candidates largely kept Trump out of their television advertising.

Fast Company - Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Representative Byron Donalds, a Florida gubernatorial candidate, removed images and references to Trump from their campaign websites.

Fast Company - Florida congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar criticized Trump’s immigration enforcement, saying it had gone too far; Mike Rogers, a former congressman and U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan, said the Iran war needed to end.

Newsweek - GOP midterm candidates had largely dropped Donald Trump from their campaign ads.

WHAT:

Fast Company - From September 9 to October 17, less than $1 of every $100 spent on television ads for Republican congressional candidates mentioned Trump, compared with $20 of every $100 spent on Democratic ads. The New York Times reported the figures based on data from AdImpact.

Fast Company - Trump held a rare midterm convention, nicknamed “Trumpapalooza,” speaking on both nights, held 15 rallies, and aired nearly $22 million in government-funded commercials promoting himself. After bipartisan backlash, he said his PAC would pay for the commercials in the future.

Fast Company - A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 31% of Americans approved of Trump’s job performance, the lowest level of either of his two terms.

Fast Company - Wesleyan Media Project data showed that more than 70% of broadcast ads for Republican congressional candidates mentioned Trump from January 1, 2025, to June 14, 2026; mentions fell sharply after Labor Day.

Fast Company - Some Republicans skipped rallies or administration events in their states when Trump or Vice President JD Vance visited.

WHERE:

Fast Company - The campaign distancing included South Dakota, Florida, and Michigan; Trump’s rallies and campaign activity were not limited to locations specified in the article.

WHEN:

Fast Company - The article described the campaign as entering its final two weeks before Election Day on November 3.

Fast Company - The advertising comparison covered September 9 to October 17; the Reuters/Ipsos poll was described as released Monday.

Fast Company - The Wesleyan Media Project comparison covered January 1, 2025, to June 14, 2026.

Newsweek - The article said the midterms were approaching and described the ad data as new.

WHY:

Fast Company - The article attributed Republicans’ efforts to distance themselves from Trump to his unpopularity and concerns about being associated with him in campaign advertising, news footage, and Democratic attack ads.

Fast Company - The article said candidates of the party in power commonly distance themselves from the president during midterms because modern presidential approval ratings tend to decline after taking office.

HOW:

Fast Company - Republicans distanced themselves by omitting Trump from ads, removing his images and references from websites, skipping events he or Vance attended, and criticizing particular administration policies.

Newsweek - Newsweek reported that new data showed GOP candidates had largely removed Trump from their midterm campaign ads.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 12:02 UTC)

Republican candidates are largely distancing themselves from President Trump in their midterm campaigns, with less than $1 of every $100 spent on their TV ads mentioning him, compared with $20 for every $100 spent on Democratic ads. Candidates have removed his images from websites, skipped events he or Vice President JD Vance attended, and in some cases criticized administration policies, amid concerns about being linked to Trump’s unpopularity. The shift contrasts with earlier campaigning, when more than 70% of broadcast ads for Republican congressional candidates mentioned Trump, and comes as he has campaigned for Republicans and urged voters to act as if he were on the ballot.