President Trump is using his influence to help Republicans avoid messy primary fights as the party prepares for the midterms.

Trump recently waded into both Michigan’s Senate race and the New York gubernatorial contest in an effort to convince notable candidates — Rep. Bill Huizenga (R) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R), respectively — to opt out of the contests. In both cases, the candidates bowed to pressure.

The president’s moves underscore how Republicans are already seeking to coalesce around candidates in some of next year’s most high-profile races, as they look to buck historical trends that suggest the president’s party will lose congressional seats and other contests.

“He’s clearly far more involved in this round than he was in 2017 and 2018 but at the same time it’s a totally different situation,” one national Republican operative said of Trump.

The different situation is the narrow House GOP majority. It leaves Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dealing with very tight margins on crucial votes.

The president’s political operation is effectively being led by Chris LaCivita, a Republican operative who served as co-campaign manager on Trump’s 2024 presidential bid.

One source close to the White House said Trump and his team would like to avoid messy, drawn-out GOP primaries in state-wide races that could damage candidates for the general election or divide the resources and attention of Republicans.

The source pointed to the contentious Pennsylvania Senate primary in 2022 between now-Sen. Dave McCormick and Mehmet Oz, who prevailed in the primary but lost in the general election.

Trump spoke directly with Huizenga earlier this month and urged him not to launch a Senate bid, a source familiar with the meeting confirmed to The Hill. NOTUS........

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