Buehler Changes Tune On President Trump

BEND, Ore. (AP) – In 2018, the Republican party’s candidate for governor of Oregon painted himself as a centrist, criticized President Donald Trump’s environmental stance and said he didn’t want to be linked to divisive national figures.

Knute Buehler lost.

Now, Buehler is running for a seat in Congress in a district covering a conservative swath of Oregon, and has taken Trump into a tight embrace.

Buehler’s campaign video features Trump at a rally and touring a border wall, with Buehler declaring that he opposed impeachment.

Buehler’s turnaround underscores how Republican candidates across the country have been wrestling with opposing strategies: Cozy up to Trump, or distance themselves and risk losing an election.