Trump has $300 million to save the GOP this midterms, but a source claims he just doesn’t care

Republicans are right to be concerned about the November midterms. The party’s prospects are darkening thanks to sagging presidential approval ratings and recent Democratic wins in special elections. In the face of this uncertainty, President Trump has yet to endorse candidates or approve a spending plan for the massive $300 million-plus war chest he controls.

Sources say that Trump currently seems detached and noncommittal, and on some days, the president simply seems not to care about the midterms. This is nightmarish for the campaign committees and super PACs that are relying on the White House to set the strategy and clear the field.

The Washington Post reports that the most immediate pain point caused by this delay is the lack of presidential endorsements, which forces expensive Republican-on-Republican primary battles. Just look at the Senate races in Texas and Georgia. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina highlighted that super PACs supporting incumbent Republicans are literally going to be spending money against Trump’s preferred candidates or against candidates Trump is silent on. 

Trump hasn’t caught on to the GOP’s urgency

The situation in Texas is particularly tense. National strategists are worried that Senator John Cornyn’s toughest challenger, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, would be a much weaker candidate in the general election. If Paxton wins the March 3 primary, holding that Senate seat for the GOP could cost an extra $100 million, a truly jaw-dropping figure when effective advertising in the state runs about $8 million every week. 

Cornyn, who still hasn’t secured an endorsement from Trump, expressed the general frustration. “There’s only one person in the world who’s going to make that decision, and we can’t wait,” the senator said. Trump treasures his endorsement as definitive and often resists backing candidates who aren’t clear frontrunners in the polls. 

A White House official pushed back on the idea of detachment, noting that Trump is excited to get more engaged in the midterm strategy. The focus thus far has been placed on larger economic policies like adjusting tax refunds and adjusting public opinion through FCC control.

In fact, an Oval Office meeting focused on House endorsements recently turned into a five-hour gabfest about the midterms. Trump is determined to defy the historical tendency of the party in power losing seats during the midterms. “We’ll spend whatever it takes,” one person recalled Trump saying. “Go get it done.”

The stakes are incredibly high for Trump personally. Having already been impeached twice and indicted four times, a White House official noted the president is less concerned about a third impeachment than he is about stopping a Democratic-controlled House from halting his policy agenda.

As a result, the White House is actively scheduling multiple trips for Trump in battleground states and districts in the coming weeks and months. They’re even encouraging Cabinet secretaries to minimize foreign travel and focus solely on domestic trips to target key districts.