Republicans are privately blaming Donald Trump for putting the party on course for losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections, even as few lawmakers are prepared to criticise the president publicly.
Interviews with candidates, campaign officials and members of Congress indicate growing concern over the political impact of Trump’s tariffs, his unpopular war with Iran and mass deportation agenda. Republicans are tied or trailing in a number of key battlegrounds and expect to lose some seats that were previously considered secure.
One House Republican said the party had believed earlier this year that it could defy the usual midterm pattern, before Trump’s decision to bomb Iran changed the outlook.
“There was a point earlier this year where we really felt like we could defy history,” the lawmaker said. “And then Trump bombed Iran. And it was just one thing after another.”
Trump’s closing message has also frustrated some Republicans, including repeated comments about the physical appearance of male candidates. T.W. Arrighi, a Republican strategist working on the South Carolina Senate race and other contests, said the party had to accept both the advantages and disadvantages of campaigning alongside the president.
“People are gonna go after the president. The buck stops with him. His approval ratings aren’t great,” Mr Arrighi said.
Behind the scenes, senior Republicans have tried to limit the damage caused by administration policies. Three Republicans with direct knowledge said they had argued that Maine senator Susan Collins and Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers could lose their races unless the White House found a way out of its trade dispute with Canada.
Trump eventually agreed to withdraw some tariffs while imposing new ones, a move described as a boost for Ms Collins. Republican pressure to reverse an executive order allowing more foreign beef into the United States, which had angered ranchers and farmers in states including Kansas, Iowa and Texas, did not succeed.
Republicans blame Trump over economic and foreign policy concerns
Republicans say the consequences of the president’s policies are being felt differently across the country. They argue the war with Iran has driven up fuel and fertiliser prices, damaging the party’s prospects in Midwestern races, while tariffs remain a particular concern in states bordering Canada such as Maine and Michigan.
Hardline immigration enforcement and the deportation of thousands have caused difficulties in heavily Latino border states including Arizona and Texas. The decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Venezuelans has also angered voters in South Florida, where Republican representative Maria Elvira Salazar warned in a campaign advert that the administration had gone too far.
In Georgia, Republicans have raised concerns about weak early voting in rural areas. Jason Shepherd, the former Republican chairman of suburban Cobb County, said higher diesel prices could disproportionately affect rural voters and argued that “the promise of the great Trump economy has not materialized”.
The White House has defended the president’s record and his role in the campaign. Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, said Mr Trump was the “unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party” and was committed to retaining Republican majorities in Congress.
A White House official dismissed the internal criticism as “an asinine adventure”, saying Mr Trump had “obviously left it all on the field”. The Republican National Committee also rejected claims that he was failing to mobilise voters, pointing to his record on tax cuts, border security and drug costs.
However, some Republicans fear that a poor result could turn private criticism into an open revolt as the party begins to consider its future and the 2028 presidential contest. One strategist involved in competitive races questioned what would happen if Republicans lost 35 House seats and six Senate seats.
“We all know who the problem is. It’s Trump. And do we continue down a path of losing?” the strategist said.
A poll cited in the campaign debate found Republican midterm voters divided over responsibility for a weaker performance than in 2024. Twenty-nine per cent blamed Mr Trump for making the party less popular, while 30 per cent said the problem was that he was not on the ballot. Fourteen per cent blamed a more popular Democratic Party and around one in four said they did not know.
Some Republican operatives also doubt whether Mr Trump’s late campaign travel and political spending in battleground states will be enough to prevent losses. One strategist accused him of being more focused on his legacy than on practical measures to help the party retain power.
“He cares more about the ballroom than he cares about Republicans winning the midterms,” the strategist said, referring to what they described as Mr Trump’s interest in securing the Nobel Peace Prize and pursuing major legacy projects.
