“A few tentative displays of independence among Republicans have expanded in recent days into a stampede, as candidates furiously distance themselves from President Trump ahead of the midterm elections,” The Atlantic reports.

Said one Texas-based political consultant: “This is shaping up to be a nightmare political environment for every Republican, everywhere—period, full stop.”

“Noting that gas prices across the country are on average $4.50 a gallon, the consultant described the atmosphere as ‘a fucking disaster for anyone in a competitive race.'”

“With less than 40 days until the midterm elections, Republicans in Congress are distancing themselves from President Trump and scrambling to show they are working to address the high cost of living, concerned that their failure to do either so far may cost them their majorities in November,” the New York Times reports.

“Mr. Trump’s approval ratings are sagging as Americans face higher energy costs and general economic uncertainty because of the war in Iran, giving Democrats a clear advantage in national polls. But the Senate has spent some of its final days in session ahead of the election defeating a bid to halt the war and working on a sweeping new regulatory framework for collegiate sports.”

Susan Glasser: “Forty days before the midterm elections, Washington is increasingly consumed not by Trump’s endless antics so much as by the rapidly clarifying political reality of the predicament in which the President, deeply unpopular and trapped in an unwon war of his own choosing in the Middle East, has got himself and his party.”

“A reckoning—one far harsher than was expected, even a few months ago—now seems imminent.”

“David Flippo, a Republican congressional candidate in Nevada, inflated his military record multiple times in recent years by claiming he received a Bronze Star ‘for valor’ during his two-decade Air Force career,” the Washington Post reports.

“Flippo received a Bronze Star in 2004 for his service, but not the Bronze Star with valor, a much rarer distinction that recognizes heroism in direct combat with an enemy. Experts on military awards say such exaggerations are tantamount to lying.”

“I really want to go out after the midterms are over, and depending upon what the results turn out to be, engage in a conversation with American voters about where we go from here. And for my own party: are we tired of losing yet?”

— Former Gov. Chris Christie (R), quoted by Politico, hinting he might run for president again in 2028.

“For over a decade, the question has been asked probably a million times,” Boston Globe reports.

“When will Republicans break away from Donald Trump?”

“We might finally have an answer: around 40 days until the 2026 midterm elections.”

“So far, this week has been defined by sagging polling numbers for Trump that are so bad that Republican candidates in tight contests are creating real distance for the first time.”

“There are 41 days until Election Day, and Republicans are throwing everything and the kitchen sink at their sinking political fortunes,” Punchbowl News reports.

”Over the past few weeks, the electoral climate for President Donald Trump and Republican leaders has worsened dramatically, according to lawmakers, aides and political advisers who see daily polling.”

”Gas prices are sky-high. Diesel sets a new record almost daily. Trump said at the United Nations Tuesday that the Iran war won’t end until ‘after the midterm elections.’ That’s a frightening prospect for GOP lawmakers who are now publicly calling for an end to the seven-month conflict.”

”Rep. Ashley Hinson, the GOP Senate candidate in Iowa, is demanding the House return to session to enact a ban on diesel exports. This won’t happen, but it shows a suddenly vulnerable Republican desperately scrambling for a message.”

“Congressional Republicans are increasingly breaking with an unpopular president on foreign policy and pocketbook issues as they try to stop their majorities from slipping away,” Axios reports.

“They aren’t engaged in a full-scale revolt against President Trump, but some Republicans are testing new ways to distance themselves from him — a sign of their election anxiety.”

NBC News: GOP defections from Trump start to pile up.

Aaron Blake: “Republicans choosing to distance themselves from Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections was somewhat inevitable, given how historically unpopular the president is.”

“But the examples are piling up, and it’s notably happening in some pretty red territory.”

“Many of those running away from the president and policies like the Iran war are campaigning in territory that favored Trump by substantial margins — including by double digits in some areas.”

“The Iran war defections over the past week have been particularly notable.”

“Zigzagging from issue to issue, President Donald Trump has left his political allies struggling to keep pace with his pronouncements and lost precious time to drive a compelling message ahead of the midterm congressional elections, Republican strategists and people who’ve worked with him said,” NBC News reports.

“The takeaway from recent polling is that voters worry most about high prices and the cost of living. But Trump has at times veered off pocketbook issues and made moves that are peripheral to the top-of-mind concerns of voters who will soon decide which party controls Congress.”