Midterm Strategy Falters as Voters Focus on Costs

President Donald Trump’s advisers are disputing responsibility for a faltering Republican midterm strategy as polls point to Democratic gains in the House and voters voice concern about prices and the economy. Trump has questioned campaign spending, redistricting and candidate choices, and he’s urged supporters to act as if he were on the November 3 ballot.

Campaign Strategy Under Strain

The friction centers in part on James Blair, who runs Trump’s super PAC MAGA Inc., and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Trump has criticized Blair’s handling of campaign funds, while some White House officials and allies have questioned Wiles’ oversight of the political operation. One person familiar with internal discussions said Wiles had pointed to Blair, and Blair had faulted the White House legislative affairs team. “What’s really happening is a circular firing squad,” the person said.

Public records put MAGA Inc.’s campaign spending at $200 million so far. One source said it remained unclear whether Trump would approve additional spending before the election. Two sources said Trump had pressed aides during the past week to explain why the redistricting effort he personally pushed hadn’t produced clearer Republican gains.

Texas worries Republicans. The party redrew the state’s congressional map to gain seats, partly relying on Hispanic voters to turn out as they did in the 2024 election. Polls suggest that support may be difficult to replicate amid concerns about the cost of living and dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy. Some Republicans fear the new boundaries could leave incumbents more vulnerable. “The redistricting diced up the Trump voters too much,” one source said.

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott and Senate candidate Ken Paxton have rarely appeared together publicly this fall and don’t plan to campaign together in the final weeks before Election Day, NBC News reported. Republicans in the state have grown wary of one another and quietly distanced themselves from former allies, according to the report.

Trump defended Wiles on Friday, calling her “smart” and “tough” and saying she would remain in her job. “Susie is here, and she’s going to be here for a long time,” he said. White House spokesman Davis Ingle called the sources’ characterization “armchair experts peddling their baseless speculation.” Wiles didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Spending, Outside Work and the Midterm Stakes

Trump’s frustration with his political team became public after Blair and Chris LaCivita, who co-managed Trump’s 2024 campaign, traveled in early October to Republika Srpska, a self-governing region of Bosnia. The New York Times reported that the men received substantial payments to advise the regional government ahead of local elections. Trump described them as “outside consultants” in an October 7 Truth Social post and said he would “terminate them, immediately!” if he found a conflict of interest.

Three people said senior White House officials questioned why Blair was taking lucrative overseas work while he was supposed to oversee the final stretch of the Republican campaign. One person said Wiles approved the trip without informing Trump. Blair said, “All of this mudslinging is ridiculous, and counterproductive. President Trump and me are focused on helping Republicans win in November.” LaCivita said Trump and his team had focused on the midterms and called the criticism “sniping from unnamed cowards.” Two sources said Blair’s return to the White House was now unlikely.

Polls suggest Democrats will win the House, while the Senate remains too close to call. A House loss would hamper Trump’s legislative agenda in the final two years of his term and give Democrats subpoena power to investigate his administration. Trump’s approval rating sits at the lowest point of his presidency, with voter concern over high prices and dissatisfaction with the Iran war weighing on it.

Bellwether Races and Voter Concerns

Pennsylvania is a bellwether for the midterms, according to The New York Times. Trump won the state’s electoral votes in 2024, Republicans ousted an entrenched Democratic senator, and Republicans flipped two House seats there. Democrats are now targeting four House districts that together could give them a congressional majority. The contests include a Republican defending support in sprawling suburbs, Democrats seeking to reclaim fast-growing Hispanic areas that shifted right in 2024, and white working-class voters in aging industrial towns and rural areas who have lost patience with Trump’s promises.

Vice President JD Vance told CBS News that improving the economy could take time. At a Michigan town hall, he responded to a woman whose small business was struggling: “It’s gonna take more than 18 months to fix things and turn them around.” Most Americans, polls showed, were dissatisfied with the economy and frustrated with inflation, with a majority blaming the Trump administration’s policies. Trump gave his administration an “A+” on the economy; Vance said the president was referring to new investments and that factories had to be built before workers could be employed.