Washington ¨C With U.S. gas prices up, President Donald Trump¡¯s approval ratings down and the Iran war dragging on, Republicans are recalibrating their blueprint ahead of November¡¯s midterm elections. The strategy? Seek to tap Trump¡¯s turnout power without making the races a referendum on an increasingly unpopular president.
In a closed-door meeting last week with top conservative campaign officials, Trump¡¯s political advisers ¡ª including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, political chief James Blair and long-time pollster Tony Fabrizio ¡ª outlined a plan for candidates to promote Republicans¡¯ tax cuts and inflation-fighting policies, according to four people familiar with the gathering.
But Republicans want to ?avoid making Trump himself the focus of the campaign, as strategists worry that his sagging political fortunes could hurt candidates in competitive congressional races. Trump¡¯s party faces an uphill battle to keep ?its House ?of Representatives majority, and there¡¯s a growing risk it could lose control of the Senate.
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