A top official with the National Republican Congressional Committee said there’s isn’t any indication President Trump will intervene in Republican primaries for House seats.
“Our job is to protect our members in the primary,” Joe Pileggi, political director of the NRCC, said during a panel discussion at the PoliticoPro Policy Summit on Thursday. “We have a great relationship with the White House.”
President Trump hasn’t hidden his criticisms of incumbent GOP lawmakers and has taken aim at Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Dean Heller of Nevada.
Last month, the president signaled support for Kelli Ward, who is challenging Flake in the Republican primary for his Senate seat. Trump also met last month with Arizona state Treasurer Jeff DeWit and former state GOP Chairman Robert Graham, two potential primary challengers to Flake.
Pileggi, though, said any notion Trump would intervene in House Republican primaries is “hypothetical” and said “there is no indication that is happening,” according to Politico.
The NRCC political director also expressed confidence Republicans would maintain control of the House, and said the GOP would keep its majority in the lower chamber because of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
When asked whether Trump’s low approval ratings could harm Republicans running for the House, Pileggi didn’t seem concerned.
“Voters are pretty good at separating the president of the United States from our members,” he said.
