President Donald Trump’s team has urged the Ohio Republican Party to back off its campaign advocating for Rep. Max Miller to step down from his re-election effort, according to a report from Politico. It’s said that Trump officials cautioned party members that Miller is not planning to resign and that pressuring him could disrupt their messaging while he faces Democratic challenger Brian Poindexter.
Trump hasn’t explicitly called for Miller’s resignation but has indicated that the current situation could be detrimental to his political future. One Ohio Republican shared with Politico that they were advised to let voters make the decision themselves.
NEW: Politico says President Trump personally intervened to keep Max Miller on the ballot despite domestic violence allegations. Mr. Trump called Mr. Miller directly and then dispatched a political team to hardline Ohio Republicans to dissuade efforts to use force.
— Mike Nellis (@MikeNellis) August 10, 2026
The Ohio party cannot replace Miller now because the deadline for finding an alternative candidate has passed. Local Republican committees are required to hold meetings for candidate selection with at least two days’ notice. The cutoff for selecting a replacement was set for Monday at 4 p.m. EDT, meaning Miller would have had to resign by Saturday.
If he had withdrawn by Wednesday, a special election could have taken place to find his successor.
The White House has not yet commented on the matter. Ohio Republicans had considered rescheduling meetings regarding Miller’s replacement to encourage his resignation, but these attempts were stopped after discussions with officials from the administration, as noted by Politico.
Polling indicates that Miller is trailing Poindexter by a significant margin, with reports suggesting he is behind by 14 points.
In a video posted on August 2, Miller stated he would continue his campaign and denied all allegations made by his ex-wife. Emily Moreno, his ex-wife, accused him of domestic abuse towards her and their young daughter. She claimed that in June 2024, while she was in a vulnerable position on the floor, Miller poured boiling water on her and used a sink hose to spray her. Additionally, she alleged he placed a gun to her head and broke their daughter’s collarbone in March 2025. Reports indicated that there was a dispute regarding a toy rabbit that Miller allegedly refused to return. @berniemoreno Please stop lying. As you can see in the screenshot below, your daughter’s parenting coordinator and I contacted her about the rabbit and asked if she could come and retrieve it because she had left it at home. I said sure. Then, a man who was not approved… pic.twitter.com/Yc4jK4v30l — Max Miller (@MaxMillerOH) August 5, 2026 Miller has claimed that his ex-wife’s allegations are unfounded and rooted in her mental health issues. During a recent interview, he sidestepped questions regarding accusations from three different women about abusive behavior. Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham has also made claims against him, which resulted in her seeking a restraining order. The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into Miller following his request for one, asserting that he has nothing to conceal.
