Miserable Republicans stare down incoming midterms disaster: ‘President Trump has made this election all about himself’

Tuesday, Nov. 3 is just around the corner and all evidence points to it being a truly miserable night for Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Midterms are rarely good news for a sitting president, but this year predictions are particularly gloomy thanks to cratering presidential approval ratings, a faltering economy, and ominous Democratic wins in deep red states.

Now, per Politico, Republicans have all but written off the House as already lost and are increasingly fearful that they may lose the Senate too. The outlet says they’ve spoken to “top congressional Republicans”, who have “privately concluded” that keeping the House is now “impossible.”

So, how bad does the rest of it look? They spoke to five senior Republican lawmakers on condition of anonymity, with their verdict that it’s no longer a question of victory but of trying to ensure the loss isn’t too crushing. One said the aim is simply to “save as many Republican seats as we can.” 

“We have to survive that political storm”

At the core of all this is Donald Trump himself, who they reportedly see as a huge liability. In what might prove to be an understatement, they say Trump is “not helping”, adding: “President Trump has made this election all about himself. Now we have to survive that political storm.”

Another adds that Trump’s unpopularity is single-handedly wrecking down-ticket chances: “I’ve talked to some who are making these decisions: The biggest problem is the president’s polling numbers and unfavorables.” 

Meanwhile, Trump himself is going out of his way to make the midterms a referendum on his second term. Last night, Trump weighed in yet again on the nail-biting Texas Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton, appearing dismayed that Talarico is edging steadily ahead in the polls.

Taking to Truth Social, Trump urged voters to remember “Your favorite President (ME!)” and vote Paxton for him. Along the way, Trump raged at his fellow Republicans, arguing they, not him, wil the ones to blame for any embarrassment on Nov. 3: “They are hurting Texas and, more importantly, hurting the United States of America! If Ken Paxton loses, it will be because of WEAK and INEFFECTIVE Political Hacks like John Cornyn and Karl Rove, who have ineffectively opposed me for my entire political career.”

In the event of a Democratic landslide in which they seize control of the House and Senate, Trump’s presidential powers shrink overnight, and he’ll find it much harder to push through new laws and find his ability to enforce executive orders greatly diminished. On top of that, Democrats are busy sharpening their knives in relation to prosecutions and impeachments. All’s to say it could be a rough two years for Donald J. Trump.