Trump Vanishes From Republican Senator's Campaign Website as Polling Numbers Slip Weeks Before Election

The campaign of Senator Mike Rounds has removed several mentions of Trump from its website, citing the president's sagging popularity ahead of the South Dakota Senate race.

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A Senate Republican running for re-election in ruby-red South Dakota has joined a growing number of candidates who are distancing themselves from President Donald Trump.

But it's more subtle than Republican opposition to the Iran war or shunning Trump's campaign visits as Election Day nears and his popularity struggles.

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Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., has quietly purged his website of a handful of references to President Donald Trump as the president's poll numbers and approval ratings among voters hit record lows.

Trump endorsed Rounds last year, praising the lawmaker as "an incredibly strong advocate for the wonderful people of South Dakota, a state that I love, and who succeeded in 2016, 2020 and 2024."

"Mike Rounds has my full, total endorsement for re-election — he will never let you down," Trump said on Truth Social at the time.

The Rounds campaign website posted two of Trump's names on its home page, including "Endorsed by President Trump" and a photo of Rounds claiming "Mike is endorsed by President Trump and works every day for South Dakota."

Those two items have since been removed, and Trump's name has been removed from two places on the lawmaker's "Issues" page on his website. The president was previously included in Rounds' "Put America First" and "Education" sections.

The lawmaker is running for a third term in South Dakota, having previously served as the state's governor and in the state senate.

He is running against independent Brian Bangs, who previously ran as a Democrat against Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., in 2022.

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The website of Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., has featured President Donald Trump's name prominently since last month, but that recently changed when the president's name was removed from key sections of the site. (round for senate)

As recently as last month, Senator Mike Rounds' website prominently featured President Donald Trump's name. Now, references to the president have been removed from key sections of the site. (round for senate)

President Donald Trump's name was featured prominently on Sen. Mike Rounds' website until last month, but has since disappeared from key sections of the site. (round for senate)

Senator Mike Rounds' website had been prominently promoting President Donald Trump for as recently as last month, before references to the president were quietly removed from key sections of the site. (round for senate)

And South Dakota, unlike other red states like Kansas, hasn't moved away from being considered solidly Republican,” according to the Cook Political Report.

Other Republican candidates in tighter races, such as Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa and former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, have publicly spoken out against some of Trump's policies, including the war and the adoption of data centers.

"Bangs, possibly the most inconspicuous carpetbag candidate ever to run in South Dakota, is doing what socialists do — trying to deflect attention from their liberal positions," said campaign consultant Rounds. "He can't defend his positions - so he attacks."

"In this case, as in every case before, it's coming from a Biden communications company trying to sell garbage. We are proud to be endorsed by the President. "Bengs still wants to raise your taxes, take away your guns, and expand Obamacare," he continued.