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Trump Adviser Sees GOP Cautiously Optimistic for Midterms Despite Economic Challenges
Developing
In Short: James Blair, a top Trump political adviser, remains optimistic about Republican prospects in the upcoming midterms, despite economic concerns.
James Blair, a top Trump political adviser, remains optimistic about Republican prospects in the upcoming midterms, despite economic concerns. Blair, who served as deputy White House chief of staff until April, believes Republicans can hold onto their majorities in Congress, though he acknowledges it won't be easy. He attributes the party's challenges to both national and local concerns. 'We’re still cleaning up that mess, and we need more time to finish the job,' Blair said, referring to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Several Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Tom Barrett of Michigan and Zach Nunn of Iowa, plan on skipping a midterm GOP convention called by Trump for this week in Texas. The convention, which was meant to rally support for the party, has been overshadowed by internal divisions and economic issues. Approaching the halfway point of Trump’s second term, a president who won reelection based on a promise to turn the economy around now faces a reckoning in the midterm elections centered largely on his economic record.
According to reports, the party that controls the White House typically loses seats in Congress in the midterms. Blair acknowledged that Democrats have some advantages this cycle and that comparing Democratic candidates to unpopular members of their party, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, is a strategy he hopes GOP candidates will use. 'I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot,' Trump told his audience on Wednesday, as he encouraged Republicans to align with him ahead of the elections.
Despite the challenges, Trump political adviser Blair is optimistic. 'I’m not affected by the election,' Trump told reporters last week, while Rep. Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican and speaker of the House, said the midterms would serve as a referendum on Trump’s presidency. Blair's optimism is tempered by the reality that the ongoing conflict with Iran has achieved its goal of preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon, something that Blair cited as a political success, despite the president’s low marks from voters on his handling of the war.
What's still developing
- Trump’s economic agenda has emerged as an increasingly awkward liability for Republicans heading into the November elections, leaving lawmakers to defend policies that have delivered political pain at home, even as the White House argues they will pay off in the long run.
- “As far as Dallas, we’ve always been a huge supporter of Trump,” she said.
- Reps. Ryan Mackenzie and Mike Lawler, along with candidate Eric Flores, told Fox News Digital why they're aligning with President Donald Trump ahead of November's GOP midterm elections.
- Conventional political wisdom dictates that the party in power will suffer losses in Congress during a midterm election year.
Sources
- NBC Newslink