Sen. Mike Rounds removed mentions of President Trump from his campaign website just weeks before the election. This change happened as his poll numbers took a sharp dive in South Dakota. The move comes as the President’s own approval ratings have also dropped significantly. Fox News Digital reported that two specific mentions of the President were scrubbed from the homepage.
The lawmaker’s website previously featured a photo stating “Mike is endorsed by President Trump.” It also had a banner reading “Endorsed by President Trump” right on the main page. Both of those items are now gone according to an older version of the site reviewed by reporters. The President’s name was also removed from two sections on the lawmaker’s “Issues” page.
What the Campaign Says
Fox News Digital was informed by Rounds’ campaign team that not every mention of the President has been removed. Rob Skjonsberg, a campaign advisor, noted that the endorsement is still visible in the candidate’s announcement video. “The president’s endorsement is still front and center on the website in Mike’s announcement video,” Skjonsberg told Fox News Digital. He added that focusing on general election messaging is a common practice. “But, generally speaking, it’s not abnormal to hone in on general election messaging,” the advisor said.
Trump had originally endorsed Rounds last year with strong praise. An incredibly strong advocate for the wonderful people of South Dakota, a State I love, was described by him as having WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024. The President also posted on Truth Social that Rounds has his “Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election.” He promised that the Senator “WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN.”
Opponent Blames the Drop
Independent candidate Brian Bengs says the removal of the endorsement links up with the Senator’s falling numbers. Bengs told Fox News Digital that the change did not happen because of the war in Iran or rising costs. Bengs stated to Fox News Digital, “I’m not running against the President.” He argued the timing proves the Senator is in trouble. This occurred solely after Mike’s poll numbers went down while his big money allies are buying more ads to bail him out, indicating that the Iran War raising our costs or the tariffs hurting us did not cause it.
A recent Fox News poll found that voters gave the President a 39% approval rating. Key issues like the cost of living, groceries, and fuel were major sticking points for voters in that survey. The ongoing war in Iran was also cited as a concern by participants. Rounds is running for a third term in a state that usually votes strongly Republican.
Rally in Ohio Draws Attention
While the South Dakota story unfolds, President Trump was active in Ohio supporting other candidates. He made jokes about examining the body of Sen. Jon Husted after learning the Senator was a star college football player. He continued to describe his inspection of the Senator.
The President further cautioned that Democrats taking charge would leave Ohio “destroyed like Minnesota”. Jake Paul and Jon Gruden traveled with the President to the rally. Paul was spotted wearing a red “America is Back” hat while boarding Marine One. The boxer and social media star appeared with the President in Kentucky earlier this year too. Trump predicted Paul “will be, in the not too distant future, running for political office” at that event.
