Top Trump advisers are plotting an electoral push

President Donald Trump’s political team knows voters aren’t thrilled with the current state of affairs. But they’re betting they can convince them things will get markedly worse if Democrats win back power in November. Top Trump advisers are plotting an electoral push centered on messaging the midterms as a stark choice between the two parties’ platforms, rather than a direct referendum on the success of Trump’s presidency.

The strategy is driven by internal polling showing that Republicans still hold a trust advantage over the Democratic Party on some key issues, even as Americans have soured on Trump and his performance overall. “Democrats want to make it a referendum on, ‘Do you think everything is perfect?’. For Republicans, it’s about, do you want to go forward and continue the work that is being successful and finish the job. Or shall we go backwards to record inflation and high crime?” is the overall message.

The Trump team’s plans seem to tacitly acknowledge that the president has lost significant ground with voters over the last year, and that more energy needs to be put toward attacking Democrats as a result. Advisers stressed the need to better elevate popular GOP policy accomplishments, while simultaneously portraying Democrats as obstructionists with no significant agenda of their own. There are several areas where Trump advisers believe Democrats are particularly weak, including their blanket opposition to the GOP tax policies in last year’s “big, beautiful bill,” as well as the party’s record on issues like border security and crime.