RCP co-founder and executive editor Tom Bevan joins MSNBC to discuss whether or not Donald Trump is dragging down Republican Senate candidates.



"If you look at the states individually, there are a lot of factors that go into that," he said. "But overall if you look at the 12 most competitive Senate races across the country, on average, the Republicans are running about five points better than Donald Trump." Ohio Republican Senate candidate Rob Portman is running "eleven points better than Donald Trump," he said. "So Republicans are faring much better than Donald Trump in a lot of these states."



"It hasn't proven to be effective thus far," Bevan said about efforts to tie Arizona Senate incumbent John McCain to Donald Trump. "That certainly could change as we get closer to election day, and the campaign gets more heated and more money is spent, but right now so far it hasn't. The reason is that some of these candidates have been able to say that they are supporting Donald Trump, and they are able to thread that needle."



"Trump is so unique in both his mannerisms and his campaign and what he says that it has given Republicans --and voters have keyed in on that-- Republicans can say they are supporting him and still disgaree with him on X, Y, and Z. And in a lot of cases these are incumbent Republicans who voters already know and recognize that difference."



