Trump Rarely Shows Up in GOP Ads While Dems Use His Name

Trump barely shows up in GOP television spots during the midterms. Only twelve ads from September 1 to 15 mention him, costing roughly one million dollars. That is less than one percent of the party’s ad budget, which tops one hundred sixty million. The numbers show he is a tiny part of the GOP message.

Democrats lean heavily on his name. They spent about twenty‑three million on ninety‑five ads that mention the president. That is roughly one fifth of their ad budget. The spots link GOP candidates to Trump, making voters see them as risky. A Michigan ad calls Mike Rogers “all in on the war and all in on Trump.” A Maine spot says Susan Collins works for Trump.

Even groups that spend over one hundred million on fall ads rarely name Trump. A super PAC tied to his network has spent more than one hundred million on ads meant to help weak Republican candidates. It has avoided mentioning the president. His approval rating is thirty‑six percent, so he looks like a liability. Strategists say the best way to keep the Senate is to focus on Democratic weaknesses, not on Trump’s image.

So the race is shaped by who talks about the other side, not the former president. Republicans keep Trump off the screen while Democrats use his name as a weapon. The split in ad strategy shows a clear divide in how each side hopes to win.