Facing backlash over rising prices and the president's deep unpopularity, Republicans across the country have turned to false, inflammatory and deeply personal attacks in the final stretch of the midterm election. In many cases, they are following the lead of President Trump, who has repeatedly rewritten the rules of acceptable discourse in American politics. Many of the attacks have drawn little pushback from within the party, though some Republicans say they are concerned by the trend.
In Kansas, Senator Roger Marshall, a vulnerable Republican, baselessly said his Democratic opponent "probably is grooming" children. In Texas, Republicans have cast James Talarico, the Democratic Senate nominee, as a "freak" and insinuated he is gay, secretly a vegan, and obsessed with transgender children. In Michigan, Republicans have targeted Democratic Senate nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed with Islamophobic attacks. Mr. Trump has described Dr. El-Sayed as a "vicious, violent jihadist."
Former Senator Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican and critic of Mr. Trump, said the messaging had grown "progressively more crass and crude and vulgar." Political observers say the strategy risks alienating moderate voters but could energize the Republican base. Democrats have also used personal attacks at times, and Gov. Gavin Newsom's office posted social-media content suggesting conservatives were gay.
Fordham University political science professor Christina Greer called the tone "the worst," attributing it to social-media packaging and Republicans mirroring Mr. Trump. Some political scientists said the campaign may be the most negative in modern American history.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing