Donald Trump is not on the ballot this year, yet to judge by the substance of Republican advertising in competitive congressional primaries, that is not always obvious.
The importance of this factor is especially evident as his approval rating slips amid rising petrol prices and a slowing economy—yet despite that, the president remains one of the most influential figures within the Republican Party. Candidates regard his endorsement as a critical asset, while the risk of drawing his criticism or losing his backing serves as a deterrent against any potential departure from the party line.
Congressman Thomas Massie, one of the chief targets of Trump’s pressure in these primaries, is running advertisements that stress he agrees with Trump “almost all the time.”
“That is why I supported him in the past, and he supported me,” Massie says in one of the spots, adding that he is “one of the few Republicans in Washington who stands up to every president, including President Trump,” when it comes to federal spending.
In another advertisement, his campaign attacks Trump-endorsed candidate Ed Galrein, noting that during Trump’s first term he was registered as an independent, and calling him “not merely anti-Trump, but a Trump traitor.”
By contrast, Galrein and the groups backing him place the emphasis on the fact that the former Navy SEAL has won Trump’s endorsement—a line repeated in virtually every campaign ad.
In one 15-second video titled “handpicked,” the entire campaign message revolves around that support: it quotes a television host describing the candidate as “the president’s personal choice” for the seat.
The broader context points to the same pattern. Congressman Dave Joyce, who once led the moderate Republican Governance Group and is now facing a challenge from a more right-wing rival, is likewise making a point of advertising his loyalty to Trump.
His advertisement “Stands with Trump” underscores that Joyce “received President Trump’s ‘complete and total endorsement for re-election’” and urges voters to “support President Trump” by voting for him.
A similar strategy is visible in open House primaries as well: candidates such as Chuck Gray in Wyoming and Madison Sheahan in Ohio place as much emphasis as possible on their ties to the president, making that connection the central element of their political identity.