Republicans walk a Trump tightrope heading into midterms

Republicans are increasingly putting daylight between themselves and President Trump as November’s elections draw closer, highlighting the political tightrope facing members in competitive races.

In recent weeks, some GOP lawmakers have broken with Trump on beef imports, the military conflict with Iran, the administration’s immigration crackdown and his executive order requiring federal agencies to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. 

Trump has sought to nationalize the contests, urging Republicans to treat the elections as a continuation of his agenda and telling supporters at a rally last week to “pretend I’m on the ticket, because essentially I am.” But members in tight contests are increasingly trying to make their campaigns about issues closer to home — and create some separation from the White House where politically necessary.

Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), the Republican Senate candidate in Iowa, for instance, wrote on the social media platform X Monday that constituents in her home state “are being squeezed and shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran.” She called for an immediate end to the ongoing operation.

Her statement comes after seven Republicans broke with their party in support of a war powers resolution that would limit Trump’s military actions in Iran just last week. Reps. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) — two of the new “yes” GOP votes — in particular pointed to how the war is impacting their constituents at home.

“I said it in March: the mission had to stay focused and limited, because Americans do not want another forever war. I will not vote to keep our soldiers in an open-ended war, with Iowans paying too much at the pump,” Miller-Meeks wrote on social media after the vote. 

“The Iranian regime and its nuclear........

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