Does Donald Trump want Republicans to do well in the midterm elections and hold onto Congress? In the abstract, this seems like an easy question to answer, but with 53 days remaining in the cycle, the president’s message is decidedly … muddled.
On the one hand, he’s said he hopes to see another GOP-led House and Senate. On the other hand, he’s also said several times that he doesn’t need Congress to do anything for the remainder of his second term.
On the one hand, the president has celebrated Republican lawmakers. On the other hand, he’s also repeatedly talked about how angry the public is at GOP lawmakers, and just two weeks ago, he amplified a lengthy rant from a right-wing influencer who wrote, as part of a longer message, “I don’t think the GOP fully grasp [sic] how badly they are f—ing up right now.”
On the one hand, Trump has said he cares about the midterms. On the other hand, he’s also said, out loud and in public, “I don’t care about the midterms.”
On the one hand, the president has started to spend some of the money he’s raised to support Republican officials and candidates. On the other hand, by his own admission, he plans to keep hundreds of millions of dollars unspent for reasons he’s neglected to explain.
On the one hand, Trump says he’s eager to take steps that would improve the political climate for his party. On the other hand, he’s also championing a wildly unpopular agenda, which includes everything from an unnecessary trade war with Canada to an unnecessary hot war with Iran to championing data centers.
On the one hand, the president just headlined a Trump-centric midterm convention that was ostensibly about the importance of voting for Republicans in the coming weeks. On the other hand, just hours before the convention wrapped up, Trump sat down with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, who asked whether he intends to “campaign harder than you’ve ever campaigned” between now and Election Day.
“No,” he replied.
As part of the same exchange, the president rejected the idea that his “legacy” is on the line, and commenting on the possibility of a Democratic-led Congress, he added, “I’ll block all their bad stuff for two years. It won’t be the same, but I’ll be a blocker, what can I tell you?”
He concluded that he’ll “probably be able to make deals” with the possible Democratic majority.
In other words, the Republican Party’s line is that the stakes in this election cycle are effectively existential, but Trump’s line is that it just won’t be that big a deal if Democrats prevail — and he might even reach some bipartisan agreements if they do.
GOP leaders haven’t yet commented on the president’s latest on-air comments, though it’s a safe bet they weren’t pleased.
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