Senate Republicans are starting to sound a lot less confident about the upcoming midterm elections, and some party leaders are openly acknowledging that the road ahead may be tougher than they expected.
According to Politico, GOP lawmakers who once assumed they could glide toward victory in November are now feeling uneasy about the political landscape. The outlet reports that Senate Republicans are “anxious about the midterms,” and that “the mood is shifting” among party leaders as the election season draws closer.
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Politico spoke with 10 Republican senators and aides who shared growing concerns about the party’s chances of holding control of the Senate. Several of them believe the political environment has become far more challenging, with some “are now openly predicting a tough battle to hold onto control,” thanks in large part to President Donald Trump’s policies.
One of the biggest problems facing Republicans right now is messaging. Party leaders want to focus their campaign on economic concerns, particularly affordability, but that message has been harder to maintain as global tensions rise.
Their party is struggling “to keep the focus on affordability policies that lawmakers want to make the centerpiece of their midterm campaign.” The challenge has grown more complicated as Trump pursues an unpopular war in the Middle East, pushing oil prices higher and raising concerns about possible ripple effects on the U.S. economy.
Lawmakers recently tried to shift attention back to domestic issues by passing a major housing bill in the Senate. However, the legislation faces an uncertain future once it reaches the House of Representatives.
“The Senate passed a major housing bill this week but it faces an uncertain future in the House. Trump himself told Republican lawmakers Monday that housing is not a top concern for voters,” the report adds.
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Some Republican senators have been candid about the political pressure they are feeling. Trump ally Sen. Kevin Cramer (R N.D.) said he’s “glad he’s not on the ballot” as “Republican senators [warn] that the party writ large needs to hammer home cost of living measures.
Another Trump supporter, Sen. Josh Hawley (R Mo.), also acknowledged the economic concerns voters are facing. Hawley said “prices are high” and hopes Republicans will “take some votes to lower the costs.”
Meanwhile Trump has been pushing a different political priority. The president wants Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a sweeping proposal to reshape election rules.
The bill would overhaul election procedures and “institute tough new citizenship and photo ID requirements in order to cast a ballot..”
But the legislation faces serious hurdles in the Senate. Majority Leader John Thune has been in talks with the White House about the proposal and has warned Trump that the votes simply are not there to pass it.
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Trump has even urged Republicans to eliminate the filibuster so the bill could move forward. That suggestion, however, has run into resistance within the Senate itself.
Thune recently delivered what he described as difficult news to the president. “The votes aren’t there to nuke the filibuster,” Thune explained. “It’s just a reality. … The math doesn’t add up.” He also cautioned that even bringing the bill up for a vote would not guarantee success.
“Voting on the SAVE America Act is something we will do, but passage is not guaranteed,” he added. “I just wouldn’t assume that that’s going to happen.”