Donald Trump’s inability to focus on key issues is making life hard for Republicans, GOP aides allege.
The 80-year-old president is proving again that he struggles to stay on script, and as the midterms loom, his failure to stick to electable messaging is making operatives uneasy.
Trump threw his MAGA Fyre Fest of a midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, last week in what he hoped would be a great unifier—but party insiders now say it was anything but.
“It’s incumbent on the White House and others to drive the message from the top down—but we’ve demonstrated, for a while, that that’s not a strong suit,” a Republican strategist working across several races ahead of November told Politico. “We come out of the convention, and this week we’re talking about anything but what we said we’d talk about last week.”
Trump is well known for his knack for grabbing headlines, but some now fear his scattergun approach to policy is counterproductive with less than two months to go.
The Dallas convention saw Trump brag about huge crowds—despite footage to the contrary—and also pledge to give every adult American $5,000 if the Republicans win the Senate and House in November. The administration said the scheme would be paid for with money earned through his tariffs, even though they have not earned near enough to cover the $1.3 trillion needed.
“A lot of the headlines being generated by the president—whether it’s on Flock cameras or AI or cost of living—are not helpful,” a former Trump campaign official told Politico. “It’s important for candidates to not be afraid to take a different approach in their own campaigns… if you have a different opinion, then don’t be afraid to say it.”
Trump roiled many with his answer on Flock cameras on Air Force One on Sunday.
“No, I sort of like them because of that, because of law enforcement,” he said of the controversial cameras. “But some people don’t. They think it’s an infringement.”
He later added, “I like them.”
Trump has also cast aside warnings from experts who fear that AI could soon pose a danger to humanity.
“The issue hurting the GOP is the price of gas and, [to a] lesser extent, [the price of] food. None of the other stuff, including AI, matters,” said one GOP fundraiser, according to Politico. “Still might be enough for Dems to take House, but contrast ads are coming, and we have 45 days.”
Reached for comment, White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster told the Daily Beast: “President Trump is the ultimate turnout driver for the MAGA base, and last week’s historic, sold-out crowd proved it.”
She added, “While Radical Left Democrats fail the American people with tax hikes, soft-on-crime policies, and defunding of federal law enforcement, hardworking Americans have a champion in President Trump and his commonsense agenda of lower taxes, safer streets, and secure borders.”
