GOP finds its next progressive target in Minnesota

Republicans have a new name on their growing list of progressive midterm targets: Minnesota Lt.

Gov.

Peggy Flanagan , fresh off a landslide Senate primary win.

Why it matters: With President Trump 's approval ratings in the 30s, Republicans are trying to turn the midterms from a referendum on him into a choice between the GOP and a Democratic Party they argue has moved sharply to the left.

That means portraying some progressive Democrats who've won statewide primaries as national foils.

The strategy came into focus last week, after Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan's Senate primary.

Republicans will aim to make El-Sayed and liberal podcaster Hasan Piker into focal points of their upcoming midterm convention in Dallas.

GOP operatives have been collecting video of El-Sayed, Piker and other prominent liberals for use in attack reels at the Sept.

9-10 convention.

Trump already has attacked El-Sayed over his Muslim faith, accusing Democrats after his win of nominating "jihadists" — which liberals denounced as Islamophobic.

Now, Republicans are zeroing in on Flanagan.

After Tuesday's primary, the conservative X account End Wokeness posted a video of Flanagan wearing a hijab, which she had worn during a 2025 visit to a mosque.

Pro-Trump activist Jack Posobiec posted a link to a story that included a picture of Flanagan wearing a "protect trans kids" T-shirt.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee released a video describing her as an "extremist." Zoom in: GOP operatives see lines of attack in Flanagan's support for dismantling ICE and support for transgender rights, and her ties to progressive Vermont Sen.