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By Hollie Silverman
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President Donald Trump has endorsed several Republican candidates who have publicly broken with him on key issues, prioritizing party unity as the GOP fights to maintain control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Trump recently issued a "complete and total endorsement" for Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, months after disparaging her and threatening to pull his support during a dispute involving GOP Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky and files related to the late Jeffrey Epstein.
In Florida, Representative Maria Elvira Salazar has maintained Trump’s endorsement despite her public criticism of his immigration policies. In Iowa, Republican Senate nominee Ashley Hinson has similarly positioned herself as willing to challenge the administration on issues that affect voters in her state.
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The president's endorsements highlight a strategic posture by Trump as Republicans face significant political headwinds. Historically, the president’s party loses seats in Congress during the midterms when his approval is low, and Trump’s approval has reached record lows in recent surveys. Issues like the economy, the cost of living and soaring gas prices amid the Iran war have driven the slip in his approval.
Control of the Senate remains a primary focal point. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority and are defending 22 of the 35 seats up for election. To seize control, Democrats must retain all 13 of their seats on the ballot and gain four seats currently held by Republicans.
Newsweek reached out to the White House, Boebert, Hinson and Salazar, as well as political analysts by email Sunday for comment.
Boebert Wins Trump's Backing After Public Clash
On Friday, Trump called Boebert an “America First Patriot” and a “MAGA Warrior” who was “doing an incredible job representing Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.” He added: “Lauren Boebert has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election. GET OUT AND VOTE FOR LAUREN — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
The president's endorsement of Boebert marks a turnaround from their dispute earlier this year when he called the congresswoman "dumb" and threatened to withdraw his support amid tensions over her campaigning for Massie, a leading critic of the administration's handling of Epstein-related records who was fighting a Trump-backed primary challenger. Massie ultimately lost his reelection campaign.
Boebert had supported efforts with Massie to force further disclosure of government records connected with Epstein, a convicted sex offender, putting her at odds with Trump during the dispute.
In a Friday afternoon X post, the congresswoman wrote that she "just finished a FANTASTIC Tele Rally with President Trump!" adding, "We’re going to win on Tuesday and SAVE AMERICA!"
As of October 23, Cook Political Report has Colorado's 4th Congressional District race classified as "Lean Republican" after it was previously listed as "Solid Republican."
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Maria Elvira Salazar Criticized Trump's Immigration Policies
Salazar, who is seeking reelection in Florida's 27th Congressional District, has also publicly challenged Trump over a signature administration issue.
In September, the congresswoman broke with Trump over his immigration enforcement policies, saying in a campaign advertisement that the administration had gone "too far."
"Be careful about what your advisers are telling you about immigration policies," Salazar said. "The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today."
Trump responded at the time to Salazar's ad with criticism but stopped short of withdrawing support.
"She obviously doesn't have a very strong feeling for the border, but I do," he told reporters. "She's a nice person. I got her elected. Without me, she wouldn't have gotten elected."
Trump also suggested Salazar had softened her views on immigration enforcement.
"She got a little bit soft on the border. I understand that. I understand that, but I just don't happen to be there," he said.
The president emphasized his continued commitment to strict border enforcement, arguing that immigration was central to his political success.
Still, Trump did not revoke the endorsement he gave Salazar earlier this year, when he praised her "Wisdom and Courage" and offered his "Complete and Total Endorsement."
As of September 25, Cook Political Report has Florida's 27th Congressional District race classified as "Lean Republican" after it was previously listed as "Likely Republican."
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Ashley Hinson Balances Trump Backing With Independence
The balancing act is particularly consequential for Hinson who is running for the open Senate seat in Iowa.
Hinson won the Republican primary decisively in June, taking 74 percent of the vote against former state Senator Jim Carlin's 25.7 percent, according to certified results.
The seat is open because Republican Senator Joni Ernst is not seeking reelection. Iowa is among the Republican-held seats the Associated Press identifies as Democrats' best pickup opportunities, alongside Alaska, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas.
Trump endorsed Hinson's Iowa Senate bid in September, calling her a "winner" and a "loving wife and proud mother."
Recently, Hinson criticized Vice President JD Vance over his response to GOP criticism of Vivek Ramaswamy’s controversial campaign ad featuring the estranged mother of Amy Acton, his Democratic rival in the Ohio governor’s race.
The dispute escalated after Vance said he was "disgusted" by the Republican backlash against the advertisement, prompting Hinson to criticize his response as "ridiculous" and "the wrong tone."
Trump, who is campaigning for Hinson on Sunday, defended Ramaswamy's advertisement while also rebuking Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who was among the Republicans criticizing it.
Hinson has also put distance between herself and Trump over the Iran war. In September, she called for the conflict to end during an affordability-focused press conference in Des Moines after previously opposing congressional efforts to impose limits on the war.
The disagreement was particularly significant because Hinson was campaigning in a state where the economic consequences of the conflict had become an election issue. Her comments linked the war to affordability concerns facing Iowans rather than representing a broader rejection of Trump's foreign policy.
Hinson has similarly sought to separate herself from administration policies affecting farmers, a politically important constituency in Iowa. Trump's beef policy has sparked anger among cattle producers in states where Republicans face competitive races.
She has also taken a harder public line against Trump's dealings with Russia, calling the president's diesel deal with Moscow a "bad idea" last month and saying she opposed deals with the country.
As of August 20, Cook Political Report has the Senate race classified as "Toss Up" after it was previously listed as "Lean Republican."
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What Happens if Republicans Lose the Midterms?
Republicans losing control of either chamber of Congress would significantly constrain Trump's ability to advance his legislative agenda during the final two years of his presidency.
If Democrats recapture the House, they could block Republican legislation and use control of committees to launch investigations, issue subpoenas and increase oversight of the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, Democratic control of the Senate could make it significantly more difficult for Trump to confirm federal judges, Cabinet officials and other executive-branch nominees, and would give Democrats leverage over any Supreme Court vacancy that arose during the remainder of his term.
If Democrats retook both chambers, legislative gridlock would become much more likely. Democrats could pass their own legislation, but Trump could veto bills that reached his desk. However, Democrats would need to have the two-thirds majorities in both chambers needed to override presidential vetoes.
The loss of Congress for Republicans could therefore push the White House to rely more heavily on executive orders, emergency powers and regulatory actions to pursue the president's priorities, although those moves could face challenges in court.
A Democratic takeover could also revive discussion of impeachment, which has split some members of the party. The House has the sole power to impeach a president by a simple majority, although removing Trump from office would require a two-thirds vote in the Senate, a threshold Democrats are not positioned to reach on their own.
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Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Anthony Murray and Steve Mollman.
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