President Donald Trump‘s increasingly aggressive attacks against Democratic Senate candidates have been met with scrutiny from a growing number of Republicans and risk dividing the party as they fight to keep control of the House and Senate, some allies warn.
Democrats are hoping they can overcome the herculean task of flipping the Senate by wading into traditional red states, and some Republicans suggest that Trump’s comments are not only unnecessary but distracting in a climate where voters are concerned about the cost of living.
The president ignited a minor storm this week after he used a transgender slur to blast Democratic South Carolina Senate nominee Annie Andrews, who is challenging Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC).
“Annie ‘Trannie’ Andrews is running against our wonderful Darline Graham for the Senate in South Carolina,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. “For years my dear friend Lindsey would say that, ‘Darline is the finest, most reliable, and one of the smartest people I have ever known.’ He would then always add, ‘Also, the most loyal!’ Oftentimes I would be upset with Lindsey for saying this, because I thought I had all of those qualities.”
Andrews, a physician, is not transgender and, in a new ad, hit back against Graham for “lying” about her record on transgender policies.
“Politics can get pretty ugly, and when it does, you deserve to hear the truth,” Andrews says while speaking into the camera. “My career as a pediatrician has always been about taking care of kids, and I’ve got three of my own. So I want you to hear me loud and clear. I don’t support biological men playing women’s sports, and I don’t support, and haven’t ever performed gender surgery for minors.”
AdImpact: Annie Andrews (D) releases new TV ad
“I don’t support biological men playing in women’s sports.” pic.twitter.com/HfyyQKOTCQ
— Politics & Poll Tracker
(@PollTracker2024) October 8, 2026
Former Republican South Carolina Gov. David Beasley denounced Trump’s comments on social media.
“This is abhorrent. Elections don’t have to be about cruelty and lies,” Beasley wrote on X. “South Carolina deserves better. I urge voters to look at the merits of each candidate and cast their vote accordingly. We must reject politics based on division and hate. While South Carolinians can strongly disagree with one another, we can do so civilly and with honest intentions for the betterment of our communities and well being of our families.”
The South Carolina Senate race has surprisingly become a closer-than-expected contest in a state that went for Trump all three times he ran for president. The Cook Political Report shifted its rating toward Democrats from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican.” The Senate Leadership Fund also announced it was injecting $5 million into the race to help boost Graham.
Trump’s attacks against Democrats didn’t stop with the Palmetto State. On Wednesday, Trump attacked Michigan Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed on Truth Social.
“Mohammed El-Sayed is a terrible Candidate for the Dumocrats,” Trump wrote. “While his opponent, Mike Rogers, is an extremely good one, Mohammed goes back to the days of the Jihad. He is a RADICAL Extremist, Terrorist Sympathizer, and no different from his best friend, America Hating Hasan Piker.”
The president referred to el Sayed by his middle name instead of Abdul, a shortened version of his full first name.
The Michigan Senate is a toss-up race, but with voters souring on Trump and blaming him for the Iran war, high gas prices, and mortgage rates, some candidates are putting daylight with the administration. Republican candidate Mike Rogers recently broke with Trump over the trade war with Canada after previously supporting it.
At a Wednesday night rally in San Antonio, Trump warned the crowd that if Democrat James Talarico defeats Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the open Senate race, “We’ll never forgive you for what you have done if you let that happen.”
“A vote for Talafreako is a vote to turn Texas into a dirty, failing, third-world country,” Trump said while also slamming Talarico for taking time off the campaign trail due to complications from the flu.
“Where is he? Where the hell is he?” Trump asked.
At the Texas rally, Trump also reaffirmed his controversial taunt that Iran should bomb Democratic-led cities. “You want to see a horror show? Let them hit San Diego,” Trump told the crowd. “Let them hit Los Angeles. You want to see some bad things happen?
“We protect our cities,” he said. “We protect our country. We’re not letting that happen.”
GOP WORKS TO CONVINCE RURAL VOTERS TO STICK WITH THEM AMID HIGH COST OF LIVING
Still, both Democrats and Republicans condemned Trump’s remarks about the California cities.
“I vehemently disagree with President Trump’s comments,” wrote Jim Desmond, a Trump-endorsed Republican running in California’s 48th Congressional District, based in San Diego. “America must stand up to Iran and defend our interests, but the first responsibility of our Commander in Chief is to protect the American people and our homeland.”
While Republicans have pushed back against some of Trump’s harshest comments, the real problem, some said, is that the cash advantage the GOP has over Democrats can’t trump anger over the economy. It’s a glaring sign that the midterm elections could see significant losses for the Republican Party.
“At this point, voters just think it’s Trump being Trump,” said Michigan GOP strategist Dennis Lennox. “The real challenge is no matter what Republicans say, voters do not seem to be listening. No matter how much money is spent, the message does not seem to be getting through.”
