GOP Bends to Trump's All-About-Me Midterm Plan
GOP Bends to Trump's All-About-Me Midterm Plan
The News
Republicans are accepting a midterm strategy built around President Trump himself, even though many in the party believe it could cost them seats in the House and Senate, Axios reported Saturday.
With 59 days left before the Nov. 3 midterms, Trump is hitting the campaign trail and turning the election into a referendum on his own record.
Axios headlined its report with an unnamed Republican's assessment of the party's position: "We're stuck."
Why the party is going along
According to Axios, most Republicans are too scared to tell Trump bluntly how unpopular he is. They also need his low-propensity voters to turn out, which leaves them dependent on a Trump-centered campaign that many think costs them credibility.
Timeline
The Atlantic first reports that Trump essentially demanded his political operation's TV ads focus on him, arguing midterms are referendums on a president anyway and that he wanted to tout his accomplishments. Axios describes the resulting ads as a de facto compromise between Trump and his political staff.
Reuters reports Trump will speak on both nights of the Republican midterm convention, amid turnout concerns.
Trump acknowledges to reporters that "history has said that the sitting president" sees midterm losses. He does not finish the thought, and instead says "nobody's ever had a first one and a half years like we have."
Axios reports the party has accepted the all-about-Trump approach. RealClearPolitics reports the same week that Trump will deliver the keynote at the first-ever Republican midterm convention.
At Trump's urging, the GOP hosts its midterm convention in Dallas, headlined by the president.
Midterm Election Day.
Reactions
Trump explained his thinking on the "Lt. Dan" podcast with Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, saying he chose Dallas because "we have this big convention for the presidential election, but the midterms — people talk about it. It's very important, but there's no convention."
At a Rose Garden dinner with dozens of House Republicans, Trump promised to campaign across the country in 35 races "to see if we can get everyone elected."
Republican strategists told Axios the message in Trump's tax cut ads is good — but their research increasingly shows voters blame him for the war in Iran that is raising gas prices.
Political Wire, summarizing the Axios reporting, framed the party's posture as simple acceptance: Republicans do not want a referendum on Trump, and know they are getting one anyway.
What's Next
The Dallas convention runs Wednesday and Thursday, with Trump speaking both nights.
Trump is also the star of his political operation's first two TV ads, though Axios notes it is unclear how his operation could spend that much money in two months.
Then comes the travel: Trump has committed to campaigning in 35 races before Nov. 3.
More
One practical problem with the convention has nothing to do with polling. Axios reports the event competes with the NFL's season-opening games, which could draw far more attention than two nights of Republican speeches.
Poll
Will a Trump-centered campaign help or hurt Republicans on Nov. 3?
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