GOP Caught Between Trump and Putin Diesel Deal — SkimNews
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- Trump struck a diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, and the source frames it as creating an "awkward choice" for GOP candidates on whether to publicly back it.
- Republicans are already carrying Trump's unpopular policies into the midterms, and the Putin pact is described as an additional political liability for candidates weighing association with a "dictator many of them despise."
Why it matters: Republican candidates must choose between defending a deal with Putin — a figure many in the GOP base view as an adversary — or breaking from the president they need for midterm turnout, deepening the intra-party tension already fueled by Trump's unpopular policy slate. The timing, just before voters head to the polls, magnifies the cost of either choice for incumbents and challengers alike.
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