GOP candidates flee Trump as Republican congressman warns party faces midterm 'shellacking'

From the Newshound archive · first published 25 September 2026 · last updated 26 September 2026.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has warned that Trump's party is heading for a brutal defeat in November's midterms, saying candidates are desperately trying to put distance between themselves and the president. Trump's approval rating has plummeted to 32 per cent — down 15 points since he began his second term — with his rural base turning on him over soaring prices for gas, groceries and healthcare. Massie said GOP candidates "don't want him in their districts" and are "running from him" on immigration and the war.

Massie, a Libertarian Republican, graded Trump 'F on the economy, F on no new wars' in a CNN interview with Kaitlan Collins.

Senate Republicans are separately planning a pre-midterm push to bolster their affordability credentials, an acknowledgement that Trump's economic record is a liability.

Polling shows only 4 in 10 of Trump's own rural base voters approve of his handling of the economy, while his foreign policy approval sits at reportedly -32 per cent.