House hopeful Ralph Alvarado, endorsed by President Trump, has cleansed the president from his Kentucky campaign website.
Mr. Alvarado, who won the Republican primary in May to replace outgoing GOP Rep. Andy Barr, scrubbed multiple pro-Trump messages, according to archived versions of the site.
The former state senator’s homepage no longer includes a promise to be the president’s ally and fighter in Congress, having been replaced by a quote vowing bipartisanship to work toward affordable healthcare.
Andy Westberry, Mr. Alvarado’s campaign manager, pinned the blame on a Democratic smear campaign.
“The socialists are going to have to do a lot better than this nonsense to win this district. We’ve proudly touted the endorsement, and our website still features a photo of Ralph with President Trump. It was never removed,” he said in a statement to The Washington Times.
He said that Zach Dembo, the Democratic congressional candidate, means “more taxes and higher healthcare costs.”
“It’s no surprise this Biden alum is desperately trying to change the conversation,” Mr. Westberry said.
In the “Meet Ralph” section, a picture of the candidate next to Mr. Trump used to be accompanied by a description calling him “one of President Trump’s earliest supporters” who is “stepping up to fight alongside him in Washington to fire up the economy, secure our border, and stop the woke agenda.”
“Ralph has been a national leader in the America First movement and vocal supporter of President Trump from the very beginning. Ralph knows that the America First agenda works, and he is ready to help finish the job in Washington. He will work to secure the southern border, stop the flow of fentanyl, restore energy independence, and grow the economy by unleashing American workers and cutting taxes. He will defend our constitutional rights, back the blue, and put Kentucky families first.”
As the site did before, the photo with the president is included among multiple images in the media section.
Some of the issues Mr. Alvarado was campaigning on, including supporting the America First Agenda, keeping the border secure, Make America Healthy Again and “fight the woke agenda,” have been removed from the website. They were replaced with lowering prices and inflation, as well as healthcare.
Mr. Westberry said that the president’s pollster recently recommended that Republican campaigns focus on healthcare — a key component of Mr. Alvarado’s rhetoric as a former physician.
The changes were first reported by NBC.
Mr. Trump endorsed Mr. Alvarado weeks ahead of the May primary, calling him an “America First Patriot” and “a true friend to MAGA.
“RALPH HAS BEEN WITH US FROM THE VERY BEGINNING!” the president said on social media at the time.
Mr. Alvarado was quick to thank the president for the endorsement, saying in a video, “In Kentucky, a triple crown is rare. But so is a triple-Trump. 2016, 2020 and 2024 — I stood with President Trump every single time.”
The president’s endorsement machine is powerful enough to end careers when he turns against someone.
Mr. Trump’s backing has defined midterm primary races, as his support has pushed challengers past multiple incumbents, including GOP Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, as well as Rep. Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee bashed Mr. Alvarado’s quiet rebrand, calling him a “two-faced, corrupt politician who has shown he is willing to say anything to deceive Central Kentuckians just to try and get elected.”
Mr. Barr is running for the Senate to replace Mitch McConnell.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.