President Donald Trump said frustration with congressional Republicans does not necessarily extend to him as the GOP prepares to defend its House and Senate majorities with help from a large Trump-aligned fundraising operation.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump acknowledged that voters may be frustrated with congressional Republicans heading into the November midterm elections, but said he believes that dissatisfaction is separate from their views of him as Democrats work to regain control of Congress.
“They’re angry at Republicans,” Trump said in an interview with Punchbowl News that aired Friday. “But they’re not angry at me.
“They’re not angry at me, but they are angry at Republicans.”
Republicans enter the final months of the midterm campaign facing concerns over affordability, energy prices and the political consequences of the continuing war with Iran, all of which could influence competitive House and Senate contests. At the same time, the party retains significant organizational and financial advantages, led by the extensive political operation surrounding Trump.
MAGA Inc., the super PAC aligned with Trump, reported more than $400 million in cash on hand at the end of June, according to Federal Election Commission filings, up from approximately $300 million at the beginning of the year. That war chest gives Trump and his allies substantial resources for advertising, voter turnout efforts and support for Republican candidates in closely contested races as campaigning intensifies heading into the fall.
Trump has said he intends to use those resources to “help Republicans,” although he has also stressed that his role in the midterms is different from the one he played while running for president. “I said to somebody, ‘Wait a minute, you don’t understand, I won,’” Trump said, referring to his 2024 election victory. “I’m not campaigning.”
Republicans are also developing a broader message aimed at putting Democrats on the defensive by focusing on the party’s progressive candidates and what GOP strategists characterize as a continuing move to the left. Michigan is expected to become one of the clearest tests of that strategy after Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic primary for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat and advanced to face Republican Mike Rogers in November.
El-Sayed, a former Detroit health director who previously mounted an unsuccessful campaign for Michigan governor, has been associated with the Democratic Party’s progressive wing. Republicans are expected to make his policy positions a central issue in the general election as they attempt to portray the contest as a choice between sharply different political directions. Democrats, meanwhile, are seeking to use dissatisfaction with the Trump administration and Republican control of Congress to gain ground in Michigan and other competitive states.
Trump has also taken a relatively pragmatic view of the possibility that Democrats could win control of the House. As Newsmax reported Friday, Trump said he could probably work with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., if Democrats capture the chamber and Jeffries becomes speaker, suggesting the president does not necessarily view a change in House leadership as fatal to his legislative agenda.
The Senate battlefield remains more favorable to Republicans structurally, with Democrats facing a difficult route to a majority despite plans to compete aggressively in several high-profile races. The House is expected to be more competitive, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has placed 58 Republican-held seats on its midterm target list, including districts in territory that has become increasingly favorable to the GOP.
Democrats still face the challenge of converting broad dissatisfaction into victories across dozens of individual districts and states with different political dynamics. Republicans, meanwhile, must determine whether Trump’s voters will participate at the same level when he is not personally on the ballot.
Trump identified that turnout question as one of the biggest unknowns facing the party. “If I don’t run, will those people go out and vote?” Trump said. “And that’s the one thing I can’t tell. I’m going to ask them to.”
The president’s approval ratings have faced pressure during his second term, while his administration has drawn criticism over the economic and political effects of the war with Iran. Trump has nevertheless maintained that his relationship with his core supporters remains strong and that his involvement could help Republican candidates mobilize voters in November.
With the general election campaign taking shape, Democrats are focused on retaking the House and potentially the Senate, while Republicans are trying to preserve both majorities. Trump’s comments underscore a central challenge for the GOP: converting his personal political support and fundraising strength into congressional victories at a time when some voters may be dissatisfied with Republican lawmakers themselves.
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