A host asked Rep. Wittman three times if he wants Trump to campaign with him, but he never gave a straight answer

Virginia Republican Rep. Rob Wittman sat for an interview on Thursday on NBC News’ Battleground Republic. Host Ryan Nobles pressed him on whether President Donald Trump should come to the first congressional district and campaign alongside him before the midterms.

Wittman steered away from a clear answer. He said his attention is on the campaign plan he already has, conversations with voters in the district, and both the work already finished and the work still ahead.

Nobles repeated the question two more times. Wittman kept returning to face-to-face talks with constituents and the issues he said matter to families and businesses there.

Republicans are expected to have a slight advantage in the Virginia race

Wittman holds Virginia’s first congressional district. In November, he will face Shannon Taylor, the Democratic prosecutor in Henrico County. Cook Political Report has labeled the race “Lean Republican.” 

According to The Atlantic, Trump has told aides he wants voters to treat the midterms as a judgment on his record. The report also said some Republican members have been cautious about standing too close to the president while they run for another term. Trump has shown a pattern of reacting strongly to persistent questioning, such as when he told a reporter to never talk again after being pressed twice in the Oval Office. 

Nobles opened with this question: “Do you want the president to come to the first district and campaign with you?” 

Wittman replied, “Well, Ryan, listen, I’m very focused on our campaign plan, getting out and talking to the folks in the first congressional district, making the argument about the things that we’ve been able to accomplish, the things that are yet to be done. We still have things to work on. There are still things that are very important to families and businesses in the first congressional district. So, my focus is on those things and getting those things done and having those conversations with folks and taking their ideas about the things they want to see us do here in Washington and making sure we make those things come to reality.”

Nobles followed up: “But would part of your campaign plan be to have an event with the president? To bring him to your district? To talk to your constituents about those concerns you have?”

Wittman said, “Well, my campaign plan is about our efforts to talk with our constituents and do everything that we can to meet with them, as many as we can, face to face, to listen to them, to hear the concerns that they have and to take their thoughts and ideas as we go forward and the things yet to be done. But also to let them know the things that we’ve worked on, the things we’ve been able to accomplish for them that make life better in the first congressional district.”

Nobles made a third attempt. “Alright, I’m gonna try one more time. Do you want the president to campaign for you?”

Wittman answered, “As I said, our campaign plan is focused on my interactions with my constituents and the things that we’ve worked on there, those communications. That’s what I’m focused on.” This pattern of avoiding direct questions about Trump has been seen elsewhere, such as when Greg Abbott was asked multiple times to grade Trump on prices. 

Nobles closed the exchange by saying, “Ok so, I’m gonna– we’re gonna mark that down as “Not yes,” at the very least, Congressman.”

The party that holds the White House has usually lost House seats in midterm elections. Since World War II, the only two midterms in which that party gained House seats were 1998 and 2002, the report stated.