Republican candidates and party leaders had little to say about President Donald Trump’s agenda, his war in Iran or his repeated actions to block release of the Epstein files ahead of his visit to Alabama on Friday.
In light of recent reporting in which Democrats were asked to comment on the past actions of a single candidate running for state Senate, Alabama Political Reporter reached out to a number of Republican candidates and Alabama Republican Party Chairman Scott Stadthagen for their comments on Trump’s visit to Alabama and his actions as the face and leader of the Republican Party. Many of them have previously gone to great lengths to support Trump’s agenda and tout the many ways they would help support that agenda.
But that was before Trump’s agenda began to tank the economy for the American working class and his approval ratings, even in deeply red Alabama, took a turn southward.
In a recent poll conducted by right-leaning firm Cygnal on behalf of the Alabama Educational Television Commission, Trump is now viewed unfavorably by a majority of registered voters in the state, even as the Alabama Legislature and Governor Kay Ivey remain more popular than not.
It is a stunning downward turn for a president who was overwhelmingly popular less than two years ago among Alabama voters, winning nearly 65 percent of the vote. But several actions by Trump have tanked those numbers, including his decision to start a war in Iran, his repeated efforts to block release of the Epstein files and policies that have not only failed to bring down prices but have driven them higher.
It seems Alabama Republicans locked into competitive races, along with party leaders, are not eager to talk about those issues or call out Trump for making life exponentially worse for most Alabamians. APR sent questions to Stadthagen and candidates John Roberts, who is running for the Senate District 2 seat, and Aaron Thomas, who is opposing Marilyn Lands in House District 10. None of them responded.
Specifically, APR asked the candidates and Stadthagen whether they planned to attend Friday’s rally, whether they supported specific aspects of Trump’s agenda, such as tariffs, the Iran war and the decision to import foreign beef, and what they thought about the Trump administration’s repeated and documented attempts to stop the release of the unredacted Epstein files.
While he didn’t respond, it seems quite clear that Stadthagen remains a very vocal supporter of Trump. In a recent op-ed, Stadthagen praised Trump, welcomed him back to Alabama for Friday’s rally and talked glowingly of Trump’s economic policies. He also curiously gave Trump credit for major economic development projects that Alabama officials have announced recently, including the Eli Lilly plant in Huntsville, which state and local officials secured without White House assistance of any kind.
There was no mention of the economic downturn Alabamians have felt under Trump—a downturn directly tied to his policies and the ongoing Iran war. But some Republicans are apparently willing to talk about it. Alabama Daily News reported Thursday that a group of Alabama Republicans spent their time during a White House Leadership Conference this week relaying to Trump administration officials that Alabama citizens are hurting and that they need help bringing down prices and turning the economy back around.
