Welcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.In today’s edition, senior national political reporter Sahil Kapur looks at how Trump is reacting to Republicans putting some distance between themselves and the White House before the midterms.Plus, senior reporter Alexander Smith digs into a big issue in European politics with some echoes in recent U.S.
politics — links between domestic right-wing parties and Russia.— Scott BlandAs Republicans break with Trump, one gets a brushback Analysis by Sahil KapurWith President Donald Trump‘s approval rating dipping and voters turning toward Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, numerous Republican candidates have sought to distance themselves from him — scrubbing him from their websites, using their voices or votes to disapprove of the Iran war, and more.For the most part, Trump has let it slide, in some cases downplaying the political signaling by wary allies to his skeptics in the electorate.But not in the case of Rep.Maria Elvira Salazar, the three-term Florida Republican who represents a Miami-area district.
Last week, she ran a straight-to-camera ad, filmed outside the White House, condemning Trump’s immigration agenda.“Mr.President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far,” she says in the ad, pointing at the camera and adding that “the same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”Salazar has reason to be worried, even though she won her last two elections by double digits and Trump handily carried her district in 2024.
The district is 74% Hispanic.Between 2020 and 2024, Trump made double-digit gains with Hispanic voters nationwide, according to exit polls.But his ratings have fallen precipitously since then.
In the latest NBC News poll, Latino voters disapproved of Trump by a 2 to 1 margi...