GOP Congressional Candidate Accidentally Publishes Campaign Instructions Saying Trump Is 'Not Popular'

A Republican congressional candidate in Minnesota accidentally published an internal instruction on his campaign website stating that President Donald Trump is 'not popular' and directing his team to keep its messaging local. The campaign deleted the line after a screenshot spread online.

State Sen. Eric Pratt, who faces Democrat Matt Little for Minnesota's open 2nd Congressional District seat on 3 November, had the sentence on the 'Pratt Playbook' page of his website, after a paragraph that read: 'Residents want everyday purchases to be affordable, bad actors to be held accountable, and for their reps to lead with common sense.'

The next line read: 'The President is not popular, so all messaging should be focused on local politics and needs.'

The text was online by at least 9 October, and archived copies show it was still there on 10 and 13 October. It was gone by 20 October, after an X user posted a screenshot that drew hundreds of thousands of views.

Pratt Campaign Calls Trump Line a Staff Note

In a statement on 21 October, the campaign accused Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) of steering the race away from affordability and public safety. 'Instead, they focus on an internal staff note that was inadvertently included on a website update,' it said.

The statement did not say who wrote the note or whether artificial intelligence was used, as many social media users had speculated.

Little responded on X the same day: 'This is the first time I actually agree with my opponent.'

Eric Pratt's Earlier Words on Trump

Pratt, 62, a four-term state senator from Prior Lake and former banking executive, praised the president when he launched his campaign in July 2025. 'President Trump is making strides and bringing energy back to our economy,' he said.

Weeks later, after primary rival Tyler Kistner criticised his support for Trump as lukewarm, Pratt told KSTP's At Issue with Tom Hauser, 'I'm not going to run away from President Trump.'

Kistner quit the race in April, citing a military deployment. His campaign said it would not endorse Pratt over his 'history of bashing President Trump.' Pratt went on to win the Republican primary on 11 August. Trump has not publicly endorsed him.

At a campaign event, Little called Pratt 'scared of Daddy Trump.' Pratt replied that Little was 'running against Donald Trump' while he was running to represent the district.

Trump Approval Rating Sinks to Record Lows

A New York Times/Siena poll released on 21 October put Trump's approval at 36 per cent among likely voters, a record low in that survey.

A CNBC poll of 1,000 registered voters, taken 14 to 18 October, found 34 per cent approved of his handling of the economy, the lowest in the network's polling. In Minnesota, a September SurveyUSA poll found 37 per cent of registered voters approved of his job performance and 62 per cent disapproved.

Republicans Downplay Trump Ties

A Reuters review published on 7 October found GOP candidates in 41 of 62 competitive House and Senate races had broken with Trump on an issue or played down their ties to him. An analysis of AdImpact data by The New York Times found Republicans spent $830 million (£627 million) on ads that aired between 9 September and 17 October, and fewer than 1 per cent mentioned Trump.

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre told The Daily Beast that Trump's economic policies are 'extremely popular', and did not address Pratt's website.

Eric Pratt Faces Uphill Race in Minnesota's 2nd District

The district covers suburbs south of the Twin Cities and stretches into farm country. Republicans held it for 18 years before Democratic Rep. Angie Craig won in 2018. She won her last race by 10 points in 2024 before running for the US Senate. She lost the 11 August Democratic primary to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.

The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball all rate the race Likely Democratic. A September poll by Democratic firm Impact Research showed Little, 41, a former state senator and Lakeville mayor, leading Pratt 52 per cent to 40 per cent. Election forecaster Decision Desk HQ gives Pratt a 3 per cent chance of winning.