Any modern (since 1970) presidents actively campaign against members of their own party congress or senate campaigns??

Answer

en.wikipedia.org Nixon (1970 Midterms) The clearest historical example is the 1970 midterm elections. President Richard Nixon’s White House actively opposed Republican Sen. Charles Goodell of New York, a moderate/liberal Republican appointed after Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination. Goodell had shifted left (e.g., opposing the Vietnam War more strongly), angering the administration. en.wikipedia.org Vice President Spiro Agnew publicly campaigned against him, using sharp rhetoric (e.g., calling him “the Christine Jorgensen of the Republican Party” in reference to a famous sex-change operation at the time) and supporting Conservative Party candidate James Buckley instead. rollcall.com Nixon avoided direct personal involvement to maintain plausible deniability but directed the effort behind the scenes; the White House preferred Buckley could win as a third-party conservative. Goodell lost, and Buckley won the seat. theatlantic.com This was part of a broader Nixon strategy in 1970 to reshape the GOP by sidelining liberals/moderates in favor of more aligned conservatives, though overall Republican results were mixed. fascinatingpolitics.com Donald Trump (Recent Cycles, Especially Post-2024) As president (and previously as a dominant party figure), Trump has repeatedly endorsed primary challengers against Republican incumbents he viewed as disloyal (e.g., over impeachment votes, policy disagreements, or insufficient MAGA alignment). Examples include: Endorsing against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), among others, with public criticism and support for rivals. bbc.com Backing challengers like Ken Paxton over longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in Texas primaries. texastribune.org This is more systematic than isolated cases and reflects Trump’s strong influence over the GOP base in primaries. Other Presidents Since 1970 Other presidents since 1970 (Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr., Obama, Biden) generally avoided or minimized open campaigning against their own party’s congressional incumbents or nominees. They focused on supporting the party ticket, even when privately frustrated with moderates or outliers. Intra-party tensions existed (e.g., in primaries), but presidents rarely went public with opposition in general elections or aggressively in primaries for Congress/Senate. en.wikipedia.org Pre-1970 precedent exists (e.g., FDR in 1938 tried purging conservative Democrats), but it’s rarer in the modern era due to party unity norms—except when a president has exceptional leverage or sees the member as a major obstacle. Nixon and Trump stand out as clear cases of active opposition. 62 web pages How many resignations from congress _ senate in trumps 1st term ( include people who decided to "retire" from gop and include 2nd terms. Create results in markdown During Donald Trump's first term (2017–2021, covering the 115th Congress [2017–2019] and 116th Congress [2019–2021]), there were numerous departures from Congress. congress.gov This includes resignations (mid-term exits), retirements (not seeking re-election at term's end, often announced as "retiring"), deaths, electoral defeats, and runs for other office. The query emphasizes including those who "decided to 'retire' from GOP" (or Congress), so I've focused on voluntary exits while noting context. "2nd terms" likely refers to including members serving/having served multiple terms. Data comes primarily from Congressional Research Service (CRS) summaries and Wikipedia changes-in-membership sections. congress.gov Summary Table (House + Senate Combined, Trump's First Term) Category 115th Congress (2017–2018) 116th Congress (2019–2020) Total Total Departures 118 (House 104 + Senate 14) 72 (House 64 + Senate 8) 190 In-Term Departures (resignations, deaths, etc., mid-Congress) 21 (House 16 + Senate 5) 12 (House 11 + Senate 1) 33 Complete-Term Departures (at end of term: retirements, defeats, other office) 97 (House 88 + Senate 9) 60 (House 53 + Senate 7) 157 Resignations (mid-term, key focus) ~19 (House 15 + Senate 4) ~9 (House 8 + Senate 1) ~28 Retirements (not seeking re-election) ~35 (House 32 + Senate 3) ~32 (House 28 + Senate 4) ~67 Notes on totals: These are CRS aggregates (including Delegates/Resident Commissioner for House). Many "retirements" were strategic (e.g., due to tough re-election prospects in 2018 midterms). Republicans had higher voluntary exits in the 115th/2018 cycle amid anticipated losses. congress.gov +1 Key Examples by Chamber Senate (fewer departures overall): Notable resignations: Jeff Sessions (R-AL, to become AG), Al Franken (D-MN, scandal), Thad Cochran (R-MS, health), others like Jon Kyl (R-AZ, appointed/filled vacancy). Retirements included several long-serving members (e.g., some in their 2nd+ terms deciding not to run again). Total Senate departures were lower than House. en.wikipedia.org House (much higher turnover): The 115th saw a wave of ~15 resignations (e.g., due to scandals like Blake Farenthold [R], Trent Franks [R], John Conyers [D], or to join administration like Tom Price [R], Mick Mulvaney [R]). 2018 cycle had record Republican retirements (~34 announced not seeking re-election), contributing to Democratic gains. cnbc.com 116th had additional mid-term exits (e.g., some to administration or other reasons) and end-of-term retirements. Party Breakdown Note: A significant portion were Republicans, especially voluntary retirements/not-seeking-re-election in the lead-up to 2018 midterms. Exact party splits for all "retire" vary by source but trended higher for GOP in 115th Congress. apnews.com "Retire from GOP" Context: This likely captures members leaving due to intra-party tensions (e.g., moderates or those clashing with Trump-aligned factions), though most departures were standard (age, family, scandals, or electoral math) rather than explicit party switches. Justin Amash (R-MI) left the GOP for Independent/Libertarian in 2019–2020 but did not fully resign mid-term initially. en.wikipedia.org For exhaustive lists, check Wikipedia "Changes in membership" for the 115th/116th Congresses or the Biographical Directory of Congress. Turnover was elevated compared to some prior cycles but not unprecedented—driven by politics, scandals, and the competitive 2018 environment.