(CNN) — Allies of Donald Trump are pushing the president to encourage embattled Republican Rep. Max Miller to drop his reelection bid, according to four sources familiar with the matter, amid claims of domestic abuse from his ex-wife and pressure from his former father-in-law, Sen. Bernie Moreno.
As concerns have grown about Miller’s electability, some top House Republicans have phoned White House officials asking for help, one of the people told CNN. Those members specifically want Trump to ask for Miller to drop out before a rapidly approaching deadline for him to appear on the ballot, that person said.
Trump did speak with Miller on Monday and said the congressman faces a tough reelection campaign, Miller told the Wall Street Journal. “(Trump) kept on reiterating it’s going to be tough, and it’s going to be a really hard one for you,” the Ohio congressman said, according to the publication, adding that the president was “supportive” of him.
Trump has privately told some allies that he doesn’t believe Miller can win the race, given the accusations, and that he should drop out, one source familiar with the internal conversations told CNN.
Miller again insisted in a statement Monday that he would not drop his reelection bid.
“If I dropped out of this race it would mean we as a nation have fallen so far from our American values. I will not validate false claims by removing myself just to please the court of public opinion,” he said. “I am innocent of all of the allegations that have been attributed to me. I have done well representing (my) constituents interests. Why would I drop out?”
Over the weekend, Moreno said that his ex-son-in-law “should not serve” in Congress. Some in Trump’s circle lamented on Monday that the senator waited so long to directly condemn Miller, worrying it may now be too late to convince the president and GOP leaders to mount the full-court press necessary to push him out of the race.
“I wish he’d come out against this guy sooner,” said one Trump adviser. “(Miller) sounds like a real scumbag.”
Moreno wanted to speak out against Miller months ago, but was asked by his daughter not to, according to two sources familiar with the situation. One source close to the senator said Moreno’s daughter, Emily, didn’t want the couple’s daughter reading about her grandfather attacking her dad one day. That person said the senator felt he could no longer be silent after Miller on Sunday posted a roughly 20-minute livestream, in which he said his ex-wife had “significant mental health challenges.”
There’s a twofold deadline for Miller to drop out and take his name off the ballot. According to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, if Miller were to withdraw prior to close of business on Tuesday, a special primary would be held to fill the vacancy. However, were he to withdraw from the race after that Tuesday deadline, party leaders could have a narrow window to replace him. The deadline for party leaders to replace him on the ballot is August 10, but two days’ notice is required before party leaders would hold a meeting to pick the candidate.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday that he believes Miller is “a very good person” and that he’s “going to let the families figure that out.”
“Those families, I know they’re working on it. It’s a very sad thing, especially when you know somebody so well, to be going through that, but it’s accusations,” he added.
The controversies surrounding Miller, who represents a district in eastern Ohio, threaten to jeopardize his chances of winning what was once thought to be a safe GOP seat, and could imperil Republicans’ chances of maintaining control of the House in this year’s midterms.
Miller married Emily Moreno, the daughter of the Ohio senator, at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey in 2022, the same year Miller was elected to Congress. They had a daughter in 2023. The next year, Miller filed for divorce, and it was finalized in 2025.
Bernie Moreno, meanwhile, was elected to the Senate in 2024.
Emily Moreno accused Miller of multiple instances of domestic abuse. In police videos obtained by CNN, Moreno described the abuse allegations, including an incident in which she said he held a gun to her.
The February interviews were part of a police investigation into how Miller and Moreno’s toddler daughter suffered a broken collarbone. No charges were ultimately filed in connection with the case.
Moreno filed a request in court to reopen their custody agreement in March, while Miller filed a defamation case against his ex-wife in May.
In an interview with CNN in June, Miller denied allegations of abusing his ex-wife and vowed to fight to clear his name. He said the gun incident never happened and that he stores his guns in a locked safe.
Emily Moreno’s attorney, Andrew Zashin said in a statement in June “that the court issued a restraining order to both parties and Emily is going to abide by it.”
In a separate filing last week, a lawyer for Emily Moreno asked a judge to issue a restraining order against the congressman, alleging that Miller grabbed him and another attorney’s bag outside an Ohio courtroom.
Miller sought to clear his name in a Sunday livestream on X, in which he again denied allegations of abuse and vowed he would stay in his race.
“My former wife is engaging in a pattern of reporting incredible, serious and destructive allegations with absolutely no evidence,” he said in the livestream. “Every one of these allegations was investigated … and I cooperated fully every single time because I have nothing to hide.”
He later added: “I’m not getting out of this race, and I’m winning in November.”
Multiple people, including lawmakers and Republican operatives briefed on Miller’s plans ahead of time, encouraged the lawmaker not to go through with the video response, sources said.
Shortly after his livestream, Bernie Moreno released his first extensive public comments on the relationship between his daughter and former son-in-law. Moreno said Miller is a “danger” to his daughter and said he is concerned every time Miller has custody of his granddaughter.
“If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them,” Moreno said. “He should not serve in the House of Representatives.”
Miller dismissed Moreno’s statement in a later post on X, saying, “You know this isn’t true and the only reason you are speaking out now is to hide from your own media circus.”
Miller is set to face Democrat Brian Poindexter in the midterms on November 3.
This story and headline have been updated with additional developments and reporting.
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