Trump endorsed South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds last year, and now Rounds’ campaign has removed the president from parts of its website

President Donald Trump‘s endorsement reportedly sat prominently on the South Dakota senator’s campaign homepage as recently as last month. Republican Senator Mike Rounds has apparently quietly removed several references to the president from his campaign website as he prepares for his re-election bid in South Dakota, according to Fox News. His campaign says it is simply sharpening its general election message.

The outlet identified the changes by comparing current site content with previous versions. The homepage reportedly no longer carries “Endorsed by President Trump” or a photo caption saying Mike is endorsed by President Trump and working for South Dakota every single day. The lawmaker also supposedly scrubbed the president’s name from the “Put America First” and “Education” sections of his issues page.

Republicans in tighter races, such as Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson and Michigan’s Mike Rogers, have openly opposed parts of Trump’s agenda, including the Iran war. Some House Republicans are also backing a bipartisan Russian oil bill after Trump’s new deal with Moscow. However, Mike Rounds, running in a state the Cook Political Report rates Solidly Republican, has kept to quieter edits.

The Rounds campaign insists Trump is still front and center

Mike Rounds campaign advisor Rob Skjonsberg reportedly told the outlet that the change is a normal part of a campaign’s evolution. “The president’s endorsement is still front and center on the website in Mike’s announcement video,” Rob Skjonsberg said. He added that it is not abnormal to hone in on general election messaging as a race progresses.

The edits have drawn scrutiny, as the president’s approval rating sat at 39 percent in a poll the network released last month. Respondents pointed to living costs and the war in Iran as major sticking points. However, Trump has kept rallying for his party, warning at a recent Youngstown rally about what happens if Democrats take control.

The endorsement itself was a turnaround, as Trump had vowed never to back Mike Rounds again after the senator called the 2020 election fair. “Mike Rounds has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election,” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social last year. The president also praised the senator as a strong advocate for South Dakotans.

Mike Rounds faces independent Brian Bengs, who previously ran as a Democrat against Senate Majority Leader John Thune. “I’m not running against the President,” Brian Bengs said in a statement. He argued the edits came only after the senator’s poll numbers dropped, not over the Iran war or tariffs, and urged Mike Rounds to debate him.

The campaign pushed back on those claims. Skjonsberg called Bengs a carpetbagger trying to distract voters from his own liberal positions. He also claimed the independent candidate wants to raise taxes and expand Obamacare.

“In this case, like every case prior, it’s coming from a Biden communications firm attempting to peddle garbage,” Rob Skjonsberg said. He added that the campaign is proud of the president’s endorsement and that it remains front and center for voters. Mike Rounds, who served as South Dakota’s governor and in the state Senate before joining the U.S. Senate, will face Brian Bengs on Nov. 3 as he seeks a third term.