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CAMPAIGN REPORT

Trump dumps Brooks in Alabama

Welcome to The Hill's Campaign Report, where we'll be tracking all things related to the 2022 midterm elections. You can expect this newsletter in your inbox each week leading up to November's election.

Today we're looking at former President Trump's bombshell announcement in the Alabama Senate race and how Democrats are seizing on voters' concerns over health care ahead of the midterms.

Email us tips and feedback: Max Greenwood (mgreenwood@thehill.com), Julia Manchester (jmanchester@thehill.com), Tal Axelrod (taxelrod@thehill.com) and Mychael Schnell (mschnell@thehill.com).

Trump pulls key Senate endorsement

Former President Trump finally dropped his endorsement for Rep. Mo Brooks in Alabama's Senate race on Wednesday after weeks of speculation.

Why now? In a lengthy statement sent to reporters, Trump cited Brooks's low poll numbers and comments Brooks made at a rally last year in which he encouraged Republicans to move on from the 2020 presidential election.

"When I endorsed Mo Brooks, he took a 44-point lead and was unstoppable. He then hired a new campaign staff who 'brilliantly' convinced him to 'stop talking about the 2020 Election,'" Trump said in a statement issued on Wednesday morning.

"Very sad but, since he decided to go in another direction, so have I, and I am hereby withdrawing my Endorsement of Mo Brooks for the Senate. I don't think the great people of Alabama will disagree with me. Election Fraud must be captured and stopped, or we won't have a Country anymore."

Brooks fires back: The Alabama Republican responded to the news in a statement on Wednesday afternoon, claiming Trump bowed to pressure from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and that the former president had pressured Brooks to help reverse the 2020 election results.

"President Trump asked me to rescind the 2020 elections, immediately remove Joe Biden from the White House, immediately put President Trump back in the White House, and hold a new special election for the presidency," Brooks said. "As a lawyer, I've repeatedly advised President Trump that January 6 was the final election contest verdict and neither the U.S. Constitution nor the U.S. Code permit what President Trump asks. Period."

What's next? Trump said he will be making an endorsement in "the near future." The former president has reportedly met with GOP contenders Katie Britt and Mike Durant.

COUNTDOWN

230 days until the 2022 midterm elections

Democrats pivot to ObamaCare messaging

Democrats are pivoting their midterm messaging toward protecting ObamaCare as the party celebrates the 12-year anniversary of healthcare law's passage.

The party is specifically zeroing in on comments Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) made during a Breitbart News interview earlier this month, in which he floated the idea of repealing and replacing the health care law as an example of how Republicans should ideally approach their agenda if they win back the White House and Congress.

In fact, the Democratic National Committee rolled out a four-figure ad buy in Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania tying Republicans to Johnson's comments.

Will it work? But it's unclear if this messaging strategy will stick, especially when voters are grappling with issues like rising inflation.

And Republicans are signaling that they could care less about the latest Democratic attack line.

"If this attack is meant to wear down Johnson's base or animate Democrats, even more, it's hard to see how that's going to happen, especially when there are so many other pressing issues that are contemporary that are on people's plates today," GOP strategist Brandon Scholz told The Hill.

ON THE TRAIL

Wisconsin Democratic Senate candidate and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes rolled out his manufacturing plan on Wednesday. The plan, which he calls his "Make it Here" manufacturing agenda, calls for tax credits for small and medium sized businesses and new updates for federal regulations in the global shipping industry. Manufacturing has become a major issue in Wisconsin's Democratic Senate primary, as well as in other campaigns in the Midwest.

The Republican National Committee awarded Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears its RNC Trailblazer Award at its annual Black Republican Trailblazer Reception in Arlington on Tuesday.

RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, RNC Director of Black Media Affairs Paris Dennard, former Trump campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson and Virginia Del. A.C. Cordoza were among the event's attendees.

The event comes as the RNC looks to build upon its recruitment of Black candidates and appeal to more Black voters ahead of the 2022 midterms. The Hill detailed the effort last week.

AD WATCH

Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Perez launched his campaign's first television ad that will air statewide beginning on Thursday.

Ohio Republican Senate candidate Mike Gibbons rolled out a 30-second ad touting his own business experience. The ad comes less than a week after an altercation between Gibbons and former state treasurer Josh Mandel on the debate stage over business experience.

Democratic super PAC American Bridge launched a launched a five-figure Ukrainian-language print ad campaign hitting Republican figures for past comments regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The specifically targets former President Trump, Reps. Tedd Budd and Paul Gosar, as well as Ohio Senate candidates J.D. Vance and Josh Mandel.

Signs of optimism for GOP in new poll

An internal poll from the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee released on Wednesday found that the party has a 4-point advantage over Democrats on a generic ballot among registered likely voters in 77 competitive congressional districts.

Results from the poll will be presented to House Republicans at their annual retreat in Florida that starts Wednesday. Follow The Hill's Max Greenwood for updates from the retreat.

View the full polling memo here.