"Even Republican Strongholds at Risk"... Trump and GOP Trade Blame Before Midterms

Trump Blames Party Leaders for Polls Showing Republicans Trailing in Texas
Republican Leaders Frustrated with Trump's Policies

With just over two weeks to go before the U.S. midterm elections, fears of a Republican defeat are growing within the party, and Republicans are already trading blame. As President Donald Trump and Republican leaders blame each other for polls showing the party trailing in traditionally Republican strongholds, Democrats are reportedly even considering calling for the removal of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the election.

U.S. President Donald Trump. Screenshot from the White House website.

According to Politico, The New York Times (NYT) and other outlets on October 19 local time, anxiety is growing among party leaders, campaign organizations and candidates’ campaigns as internal Republican polls suggest the party could lose even traditionally strong areas to Democrats.

Recently, on Truth Social, President Trump claimed that if Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Texas, loses, Senators John Cornyn and Republican strategist Karl Rove would be to blame.

In Texas, Paxton, who became the Republican nominee with President Trump’s backing, is locked in a close race with Democratic candidate James Talarico amid controversy over allegations of misconduct. A series of recent polls have shown Talarico leading within the margin of error.

Earlier, in an interview with Punchbowl News, President Trump said voters were angry with Republicans but not with him, shifting the blame for the party’s declining poll numbers onto the party.

Republican senators, however, have voiced frustration that President Trump’s policies are making the election more difficult for them. His war with Iran and tariff policies have increased the cost-of-living burden. Some argue that Trump should also bear responsibility for the election results, particularly because he has influenced the selection of candidates in key states, including Texas.

This has prompted speculation that questions over the party leadership’s responsibility and power struggles could emerge after the election. Politico reported that allies of House Speaker Mike Johnson and members of the House leadership are preparing to blame their rivals in the next leadership contest in anticipation of a defeat.

A major election loss could also affect Cabinet members. The Hill reported that Democratic senators are discussing whether to demand Hegseth’s removal in exchange for helping pass next year’s National Defense Authorization Act and emergency defense funding requested by the White House.

Democrats are also reportedly considering using their cooperation on the confirmations of the currently vacant Army secretary and Navy secretary posts as leverage. Some Republican lawmakers have also questioned Hegseth’s leadership, The Hill reported, potentially giving Democrats some support from within the Republican Party.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.