Outside Republican groups are essentially acknowledging that Donald Trump will not win the 2016 election.
As the GOP candidate slides further down in polls, key Republican groups are setting Trump aside and focusing on getting enough votes to control Congress by urging voters to elect them as a counterbalance to Hillary Clinton.
An ABC News poll on Sunday showed Hillary Clinton leading Trump by double digits, a high for the Democratic nominee and the lowest support point for the Republican, who is drawing only 38% of the vote.
The New York Times reports that outside groups linked with the GOP, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Senate Leadership Fund, have now begun airing commercials in Senate races urging voters to select Republican lawmakers who can work against Clinton, implying she will win.
The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC that supports Republicans in Congress, is set to run similar ads calling for voters to support Republican lawmakers.
“There are many districts where we are going to be running ads that talk about the Democrat being a rubber stamp for Hillary Clinton,” Mike Shields, Congressional Leadership Fund president told the Times. “In many districts, it is a very, very potent weapon to use against a Democratic candidate for Congress.”
