Washington Examiner executive editor Bob Cusack said Republican candidates face a conundrum in the midterm elections: They need President Donald Trump’s base to turn out, but his “abysmal” numbers make him a liability.
“If he goes to Maine, the chances of Susan Collins winning plummets,” Cusack said Tuesday on CNN’s Laura Coates Live. “That’s why she does not want him in Maine.”
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) highlighted her differences with Trump on Tuesday during Maine’s first Senate debate, where she faced the Democratic nominee, former state Sen. Troy Jackson.
During the debate, Collins said she doesn’t anticipate Trump visiting Maine, and she attempted to distance herself from the president.
“He’s talking about going to a lot of different states,” Collins said. “I’ve heard nothing from his office, and I’m not exactly his favorite senator.”
Cusack said Trump needs to stay away from purple states and focus on southern states, where his voter base is strong.
“His style plays, right now, in Oklahoma and Alabama. That’s where he should stick,” Cusack said.
Cusack pointed to Trump’s low approval rating and “abysmal” numbers as evidence that he needs to stay where he is strongest.
Trump’s approval rating hit a record low of 32% last month, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
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Cusack said Trump’s low approval rating poses a problem for Republican candidates who need his voter base to win elections, but don’t necessarily want to align themselves with Trump or MAGA.
“I think it’s going to be a real problem for candidates because they need the Trump base to get out, but they don’t want Trump, they don’t want to stand by Trump,” Cusack said.