I spoke to POLITICO‘s James Arkin about President Trump’s intentions to barnstorm key battlegrounds, and what his presence on the campaign trail means for in-cycle GOP Senators.
Strategists focused on Senate races largely agree. In 2016 many Republican senators outpaced Trump. In some cases, Republicans won by keeping the then-nominee at arm’s length, especially after the widespread condemnation of Trump for his comments in the “Access Hollywood” tape.
But none of the vulnerable incumbents are running that way now.
“This isn’t 2016 anymore. You’re not going to walk the tightrope of running far enough ahead of the president that it makes sense to shun him,” said Liam Donovan, a veteran GOP strategist. “Particularly in states like Arizona and North Carolina that the president needs to win — and you need him to win if you want to keep your job — they’re inexorably tied, and you need to embrace that for all it’s worth.”
Read the full piece here.