Donald Trump’s top aides are warning his administration to continue messaging as the midterm elections approach to counter the president’s unpredictable behavior and tendency to go wildly off-script.
At a strategy meeting Tuesday night for dozens of administration officials, the president’s inner circle also acknowledged that affordability remains a major issue for voters, especially if they don’t feel the benefits Trump often talks about.
US President Donald Trump and White House Chief of Staff Suzy Wiles. /Anna Money Tree/Getty Images
The meeting, held on Capitol Hill, was moderated by White House Chief of Staff Suzy Wells and also featured remarks from Deputy James Blair and veteran Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio.
While Trump was not in the room, his long-standing concern that the president’s party rarely wins midterm elections came into focus, according to sources.
During the two-hour meeting, Mr. Blair, 36, a former political adviser, outlined historical trends in this regard.
James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs. /Andrew Harnick/Getty Images
He also acknowledged that Trump can be unpredictable and is likely to say and do whatever he wants without paying attention to data. As a result, he said, it’s critical for others to keep their message consistent, disciplined and data-driven as the campaign moves forward.
He also said there’s no point talking about rising wages unless voters feel the impact of the administration’s economic achievements (a point Trump frequently cites).
Former President Joe Biden faces a similar challenge, repeatedly touting the value of so-called “Bidenomics” — even as millions of Americans struggle with cost-of-living pressures.
Finance Ministers Scott Bessant (left) and Howard Lutnick attended the strategy meeting. /Anna Money Tree/Getty Images
The meeting, held at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, was attended by dozens of government officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant.
They were told they would be asked to be more active as surrogates in the midterm elections, when all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and a third of the seats in the 100-member Senate are up for grabs.
A defeat in November could ultimately undermine Trump’s legislative agenda over the next two years and lead to articles of impeachment against him and members of his Cabinet.
Although Trump did not participate in the midterm elections, Wiles revealed last year that the White House had changed its strategy and would allow him to “campaign like 2024” in the hope that more voters would vote for the Republican Party.
“Typically in midterm elections, it doesn’t matter who’s in the White House — you localize the election and keep federal officials out of it,” she told the conservative group American Moms.
“We’re actually going to turn that around and get him on the ballot because a lot of the low-propensity voters are Trump voters.”
But the president faces plenty of headwinds before November, including declining approval ratings and a fractured MAGA base, as well as heated debates on everything from the Epstein dossier to ICE and immigration.
His tendency to go off-script in dramatic ways, such as describing affordability as a “hoax” or claiming the Epstein documents were a Democratic “hoax,” is also a problem.
Fabrizio presented the group with a series of data outlining the issues that voters in the target seats care about, with the economy at the top of the list, which he said resonated more than border security.
He also recommends focusing more on podcasts and social media rather than traditional interviews and news outlets to get the message across.
Donald Trump talks about grocery prices next to a display during a press conference at Trump National Golf Club on August 15, 2024 in Bedminster, New Jersey. / The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Images
But some Republicans say it remains to be seen whether a stricter approach will be enough to deal with the president’s unpredictability.
“If they stick to the message, that’s a good thing,” said Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon. “They get distracted…They have to stay focused.”
Critics also accuse Trump of “manipulating” Americans by trying to emphasize affordability and drug prices on the campaign trail.
“It’s ridiculous that Trump campaigned on affordability,” said Brad Woodhouse, president of Protect Our Care.
“Republican policies will only make life more expensive for hard-working families, and nothing illustrates this more than the disastrous Republican cuts to health care.”
