Some US Republican candidates avoid campaigning in support of President Trump... Continued absence from national convention

(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Hong Jeong-gyu = There is a clear movement among some in the U.S. Republican Party to distance themselves from President Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections.

Although President Trump announced that he would visit each of the battlegrounds and help the candidates, there is a feeling among the candidates that they do not welcome President Trump's support campaign.

As candidates continue to declare that they will not attend the national convention to be held in Dallas, Texas on the 10th and 11th, the party leadership preparing for the event is on alert.

Republican candidates in some battleground states recently conveyed to President Trump's political team that they do not want the president to visit their districts, Politico reported on the 4th (local time), citing four party officials.

The media reported that party opinion poll experts also advised candidates in swing or weak districts to 'not mention President Trump or limit direct mention of him' during the campaign.

MAGA (Make America Great Again) Although President Trump, who has secured a strong support base and enormous financial power, does not reveal himself publicly to avoid causing 'scandal', behind the scenes, there is a growing perception that his presence is disadvantageous to election campaigns in battleground states.

When asked in an interview whether he hoped to support President Trump's campaign, Rep. Rob Wittman (Virginia) said, "We have a great campaign plan," and added, "We are strictly focused on communicating with our constituents and talking about the issues that are important to them."

An anonymous Republican congressman running in a battleground state said his advisers "advised him, 'If you mention him (Trump) too much, you're screwed, and if you don't look at him, you're screwed, too.'"

At a dinner with Republican lawmakers on the 2nd, President Trump said, "I plan to travel around and give a lot of speeches," and added, "I will visit all 35 of those (battlegrounds)."

A red light has also come on for the success of the national convention, which was planned to rally Republican supporters and solidify the candidates' determination to win. The highlight of the event is President Trump's speech, but candidates, especially in battleground states, are declaring their absence one after another.

Senator Susan Collins (Maine) confirmed early on that she would not participate in the convention. Representative Jack Nunn (Iowa) told ABC, "I will return to my district and work hard (instead of attending the convention)." Representative Juan Ciscomani (Arizona) also said he would not participate, citing a TV debate scheduled in the region as the reason.

Rep. Tom Barrett (Michigan) hinted at his absence, telling Politico, "I can't control what the president says at the convention. But I can control where I am and what I do." In addition, several members of the House of Representatives, including Chris Smith (New Jersey), Jeff Hurd (Colorado), and Nick LaRota (New York), have decided not to participate.

Rep. Ryan McKenzie (Pennsylvania) is hesitant to attend the convention, saying, “I need to spend as much time as possible in my district.” Rep. Lauren Boebert (Colorado) also responded to reporters' questions about whether she would attend the convention, saying, "We'll see."

ABC expected that about 100 people (current members of the House of Representatives and outside candidates), less than half of the 253 midterm election constituencies, would attend the convention. Candidates Rick Jackson (Georgia) and Tom Tiffany (Wisconsin), who are running for governor, will also not participate in the convention.

Politico also reported that among the 70 active Republican lawmakers and candidates it surveyed, 45 would not visit the convention venue due to reasons such as district events or personal schedules.

Axios reported that as the attendance rate of the candidates showed signs of decreasing, the organizers planned to waive the attendance fee, which was set at a minimum of $25,000 (event ticket and lodging package) in the name of donations, for some 'vulnerable areas'.

Representatives running for re-election in vulnerable areas designated by the Republican National Campaign Committee (NRCC) as a 'Patriot Program' are exempt. However, Representative Eli Crane (Arizona) told Axios that he would not participate, saying it was not a matter of money, but that it was a waste of time to leave the campaign site and attend the convention.