There's a rare thing happening inside President Trump's Republican Party: dissent.
The president has long insisted on loyalty, but in recent weeks, a growing number of Republican candidates and elected officials have distanced themselves from core pieces of his agenda: from calling for an end to the U.S. war with Iran and relief from high prices, to criticizing his handling of key agenda issues like immigration.
It comes at a critical moment for the GOP. With less than 40 days until voting ends, the party is scrambling to hold onto a slim majority in Congress, where control of both the Senate and House of Representatives could come down to just a handful of toss-up races.
Trump's presence in the midterms looms large. He has repeatedly told voters to vote like he is on the ballot, despite facing historically low approval ratings. That could backfire, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, which finds that a plurality of registered voters, 45%, and a majority of independents, view their vote as a vote against Trump.
"Trump's strength has always been primarily devised from his relationship to the voters," said Sarah Longwell, a GOP strategist and longtime critic of the president. "Republicans have always been loath to cross him because of his sort of stronghold on the party."
However, as Americans continue to sour on the president, Longwell argued that GOP lawmakers and candidates alike may "feel more comfortable bucking him on things that they really care about."
While most of the Republicans who have distanced themselves are on the ballot this fall, the splits have not been solely confined to the campaign trail.
On Tuesday, Utah Republican Sen. John Curtis, who isn't up for reelection until 2030, released a letter urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., after ProPublica reported that a Russian oligarch financed large portions of a lavish party to celebrate his wedding.
Though past Trump-critics have largely been voted out of Congress or left the party, and the president still enjoys overwhelming support from Republican voters, Longwell sees Curtis' move as a potential indicator that lawmakers view the president's coalition as increasingly fragile.
"You are starting to see the very beginnings of people recognizing that Trump just doesn't have the juice that he once did and starting to push back."
Divides within the GOP are on the campaign trail
In poll after poll, Americans consistently rank the cost of living as their top concern, and now, many say the conflict has added additional financial strain on their lives.
It's a connection that some Republican candidates running in toss-up races this cycle are acknowledging. On Monday, two GOP Senate candidates – Ashley Hinson of Iowa and Mike Rogers of Michigan – came out against the war and lobbied for additional relief for Americans impacted by rising costs.
"Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn't have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran," Hinson said in a statement on X, adding the conflict "needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end."
The comments marked a shift for Hinson, who has previously voted against efforts to end the war.
In a video filmed at a supermarket, Rogers also made a point to link rising prices to the conflict.
"Michigan families are struggling with the price of everyday life. Groceries cost too much. We have to bring prices down. The war with Iran needs to end and end quickly. When it does, energy costs will plummet," he said.
Neither Hinson nor Rogers directly mentioned Trump in their statements, but their comments marked a clear break with the White House, given Trump has consistently defended his decision to go to war with Iran and has downplayed the conflict's effect on the economy.
There appears to be growing impatience with the war on Capitol Hill too. Just last week, seven House Republican lawmakers — up from four over the summer — joined Democrats in supporting a resolution aiming to remove U.S. forces from Iran.
"For a long time, Republicans have stuck with the president through thick and thin. But the ones who are facing real trouble at the polls need to differentiate themselves," said Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist and founder of the public affairs firm ROKK Solutions.
By choosing to cross Trump this late in the election cycle, Bonjean said it underscores how high the stakes are for Republicans.
"They're doing everything they can to make sure voters understand that they're much more independent than voting with Trump 100% or agreeing with him 100% of the time," he added.
That independence could prove crucial for Republicans whose political fate may be determined by some of the same key voting blocs that moved right two years ago and have since distanced from Trump, namely, Hispanic voters.
Even in red states like Texas and Florida, House districts with large Hispanic populations have seen drops in Republican support, according to a recent New York Times/Siena poll.
That includes Florida's 27th district, where Rep. María Elvira Salazar is running to represent parts of Miami for a third term.
Last week, she released an ad directly criticizing Trump's immigration agenda, arguing his enforcement efforts have "gone too far."
"Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policy," said Salazar, whose district is rated by the Cook Political Report as likely Republican. "The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today."
Like many Republicans, Salazar is still walking a fine line. In an interview with CBS News days after releasing her ad, she acknowledged having a "fantastic conversation," with Trump and described him as "very receptive."
"There are no attacks here," she added. "I'm just forewarning him and advising him as a member of Congress from the South Florida area that some of his advisers are just not presenting the whole picture."
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