Battleground Republicans urge President Trump to extend the same attention used in South Carolina races to contests seen as decisive for Congress

Republicans involved in battleground electoral strategy are urging President Donald Trump to apply the same level of attention he devoted to Sen. Darline Graham’s South Carolina effort to races they describe as more decisive for control of Congress, according to a Politico report published Tuesday.

The push is framed around what Republicans call a mismatch between high-profile Trump time on a South Carolina contest and the party’s need to compete in other close House and Senate races that could determine the chamber majority, the report said. Party-aligned strategists cited the internal argument that White House attention should be concentrated on the contests most likely to decide legislative control.

The report ties the request to Trump’s visible campaigning around Graham in South Carolina. It notes that Trump went to “great lengths” to help push her over the finish line in that state, including an event in Myrtle Beach, where he appeared in late August, as reflected in the campaign photo caption accompanying the report.

Politico also described the message Republicans were delivering to the White House using the phrase “put up or shut up time,” an expression used within GOP circles to emphasize that the party wants concrete, measurable involvement rather than generalized support, the report said.

The requested change, as described by Politico, is less about altering any specific policy stance and more about campaign logistics, scheduling, and the allocation of presidential time. Republicans making the argument say they want Trump-linked engagement in races they believe are essential for maintaining or winning legislative power.

Republicans have been weighing how best to deploy senior outreach across multiple competitive districts and states, and the Politico reporting indicates the debate is ongoing inside the party as it looks toward the final stretch of the electoral calendar. The report did not cite any formal White House directive or public schedule change.

The practical effect of the pressure campaign described by Politico would be an adjusted pattern of presidential appearances or related support in congressional battlegrounds, with party leaders aiming to increase turnout and persuasion in districts and states they consider pivotal to control of the House and Senate.