Republicans are using an old trick to avoid criticizing Trump. It’s not working.

Facing weak approval numbers and a difficult midterm outlook, a number of Republicans have begun explaining away disagreements with President Donald Trump by saying his aides steer him wrong. Sen. Thom Tillis told MS NOW that Trump was poorly advised on the affordability crisis. Rep. María Elvira Salazar made a similar claim about immigration enforcement in a September ad, and Sen. Ted Cruz raised it in June over a prospective Iran agreement.

The tactic has precedent. Lawmakers from both parties have used it with Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Trump's first term, since it lets them signal displeasure without alienating the president's supporters. Rep. Chris Shays, for one, used it in 2006 to nudge Bush on Iraq.

MS NOW argues it fits Trump poorly. He has long portrayed himself as the sole answer to the country's problems, and in February he said, "I am the one that makes the decision." Axios reports that White House staff and GOP officials have largely stopped trying to change his mind. The approach also offers no protection: a week after Salazar's ad, Trump boosted online posts attacking her, some urging her replacement.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →