Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has a warning for Republicans eyeing the 2026 midterms: don't get too cozy with President Donald Trump, because voters might not be feeling the love.

In an interview with ABC News on Monday, Christie argued that Trump's sagging approval ratings could become a serious liability for GOP candidates in competitive races. His advice? Start practicing your social distancing now.

"With his current approval rating, Republicans are going to treat Trump like he has malaria by the time we get to October," Christie posted on X, making it clear he thinks the president's political coattails have turned into a lead weight.

Christie suggested that while some Republicans might feel pressured to appear alongside Trump because the president closely tracks political loyalty, many would rather not have that kind of help. "They don't want that help," he said, predicting that some candidates would begin skipping Trump's campaign events altogether. "They're going to be treating him like he's, you know, got malaria by the time he gets [to the] October convention in September."

The former governor zeroed in on Trump's standing among independents as the real red flag. "The key number in the polls you talked about, yes, the 30s are bad, but here's the one that I look at for a midterm president right now is minus 45 among independents," he said. That's a brutal number for any president, but especially for one whose party needs to hold swing districts.

Christie's warning comes as new polling shows Democrats gaining ground on a key issue. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 37% of registered voters now trust Democrats more on the economy, compared to 36% for Republicans. That's the first time Democrats have led on economic trust in nearly a decade, and it could spell trouble for the GOP's midterm hopes. The same poll put Trump's approval rating at 35%, down from 37% in the previous survey.

Trump's political headaches aren't just about polls. Last month, a federal appeals court kept a block on parts of his executive order targeting mail-in voting oversight, ruling that provisions on voter citizenship lists and ballot monitoring couldn't be enforced. The Justice Department has indicated it might ask the Supreme Court to weigh in.

Critics are also questioning Trump's motives. Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci argued that Trump is more focused on preserving his personal legacy and control than on the GOP's future. And Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) accused Trump of laying the groundwork to challenge the 2026 election results if he loses.

So, as the midterms approach, the question for Republicans is simple: stick with Trump or run for the hills? Christie's advice is pretty clear, even if the malaria metaphor is a bit unflattering.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by MarketDash editors.