Stories
Trump Midterm Strategy Falters As Aides Blame Each Other Amid Rising Tensions
- •US President Donald Trump is directing his frustration over a faltering Republican midterm strategy toward his own aides as the party fights to retain control of Congress.
- •Internal friction has intensified around James Blair, head of the MAGA Inc. super PAC, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles as campaign spending and candidate choices face heavy scrutiny.
- •Opinion polls indicate Democrats are positioned to win the House of Representatives, threatening Trump's legislative agenda and raising the prospect of congressional investigations.
- •Trump has questioned campaign expenditure, redistricting decisions, and Blair's controversial overseas consulting work in Bosnia, though he recently defended Susie Wiles.
- •Top aides have dismissed the internal disputes as counterproductive mudslinging from anonymous sources while insisting the campaign remains focused on November victories.
Key Questions Answered
As opinion polls suggest Democrats are positioned to win the House of Representatives, US President Donald Trump has questioned campaign expenditures, redistricting decisions, and candidate choices, turning his frustration toward his own aides. This internal friction has led advisers to point fingers at one another, creating what sources describe as a circular firing squad over faltering midterm strategies.
Trump's frustrations spilled into public view after James Blair and Chris LaCivita travelled to Republika Srpska in Bosnia to advise the regional government ahead of local elections. Senior White House officials questioned why Blair was taking on lucrative overseas work while overseeing the final stretch of the Republican campaign, with Trump warning he would terminate consultants immediately if he found a conflict of interest.
Trump and his advisers have questioned why the redistricting effort he personally pushed has failed to deliver clear-cut Republican gains, particularly in Texas where new maps rely heavily on Hispanic voter turnout. Some Republicans fear these boundaries could backfire and leave incumbents more vulnerable, with sources noting the redistricting diced up Trump voters too much.
