As President Donald Trump vows to lead the Republican Party to victory in the midterm elections this fall, a prominent ― and conservative-leaning ― outlet is predicting a different outcome for the GOP.
The Wall Street Journal on Monday published an editorial suggesting Republicans could be on the brink of a “Senate wipeout” in the midterms given the many factors, including Trump’s sagging approval ratings, that usually correspond to “a wave for the party out of power,” referring to Democrats.
According to the outlet, issues that have “dampened the enthusiasm of GOP voters” across the board include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests and deportations and the president’s ongoing trade war, specifically his “latest tariff brawl with Canada.”
“The President could be campaigning for more defense spending, or more government reform, or more pro-growth policies to raise real incomes,” The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board noted, pointing to Senate races in traditionally conservative states Alaska, Ohio, Texas and Iowa. “Instead he’s fixated on his Washington vanity projects, including the White House ballroom and the District of Columbia Trump Arch.”
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As for other ways Trump has been “giving conservative voters an excuse to stay home,” the outlet pointed out that Trump’s insistence on “meddling to oust electable GOP incumbents who weren’t as deferential as he likes,” such as his endorsement of scandal-plagued state Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in Texas, has also angered many members of his base.
“The midterm election in a second presidential term is often bad for the party in the White House, with Bill Clinton a notable exception,” the board concluded. “The campaign still has two months to run, and Republicans might be able to avoid a Senate wipeout. But if they do lose their majority, Mr. Trump will find his Presidency in a two-year state of siege, and he’ll be the main reason.”
As of Tuesday, Trump had yet to respond to The Wall Street Journal’s editorial publicly. On Monday, however, he shared a Labor Day message on his Truth Social platform in which he blasted the “Radical Left Lunatics, Communists, and Dumocrats who will do anything possible to destroy our Country,” before declaring: “We’re going to win the Midterms, BIG, and SAVE AMERICA!”
At present, the Republican Party holds majorities in both the House and the Senate. Though Democrats are widely expected to regain control of the House, many prognosticators ― including polling pundit Nate Silver ― have, until recently, been more skeptical about the party’s chances in the Senate.
The Wall Street Journal joins a growing number of outlets in suggesting that “Trump fatigue” could be putting many Republican lawmakers at risk in the midterms.
Last month, Fox News host Laura Ingraham urged the GOP to “get their act together” during the final weeks before election night in November while pointing specifically to Paxton, who has made few appearances on the campaign trail since securing Trump’s endorsement in May.
“I guess [Paxton is] hoping Trump and Elon Musk save him,” she said. “But he’d better get going in Texas.”