Donald Trump’s unrelenting drive to implement his policies has turned them into “liabilities” that threaten his next three years in office, and his allies are growing increasingly worried that he has painted himself into a corner.
The past week has laid bare the consequences of Trump’s overreach—a combination of policy missteps and self-inflicted damage that is tanking his poll numbers and his ability to command congressional support. A stagnant labor market and skyrocketing gas prices fueled by the Iran conflictare ravaging the economy. The sudden ouster of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has shone a harsh spotlight on the administration’s deeply unpopular immigration agenda. Wall Street analysts are now warning that surging oil prices could trigger stagflation, and the cascade of bad news has jeopardized the GOP’s ability to keep voters focused on Trump administration policies supposedly designed to ease the rising cost of living. One Trump ally, granted anonymity to speak freely, captured the political peril: “If you combine an economy that people don’t like with a prolonged war that you know nobody in his base believes they voted for, that’s a toxic problem.” Though Trump isn’t on the ballot this year, Republicans desperately need his approval ratings to improve if they hope to maintain control of Congress. “Don’t drag this war out,” the person warned. “That’s my best advice for the administration. The country is in no mood for a prolonged war.” The Iran conflict has sent oil and gas prices soaring—pump prices have climbed more than 11 percent in a single week. With employers cutting payroll and Trump reshuffling his immigration leadership, the president has lost the upper hand on the two issues critical to GOP midterm success. Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist and former Trump State Department appointee, acknowledged the predicament: “We are a year into the Trump presidency, and it seems as if everything has changed but the economy. Now, as we head into the midterms, our only message on the economy is, ‘You should thank us for the One Big, Beautiful Bill.’ That’s always going to be a challenge.” Republican operatives are already resorting to damage control. One midterms strategist, speaking anonymously, offered blunt counsel: “Focus just on the local s–t, stop focusing on the world. Even if you obviously can’t bring prices down, just do everything you can to make the people feel like the economy is getting better.”
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