Republican Strategist Issues Warning on Trump's Approach
In a recent Wall Street Journal column, Republican strategist Karl Rove expressed concern that President Donald Trump's behavior on social media and his statements regarding the economy could negatively impact the Republican Party in the midterm elections.
"The president's grotesqueries have to stop," Rove wrote Wednesday.
Rove, who served as a senior adviser to former President George W. Bush, noted that Trump is "making the same mistake" as former President Joe Biden. He referenced Biden's promotion of "Bidenomics" during periods of inflation, stating, "Mr. Biden and his allies looked disconnected from reality when they proclaimed 'Bidenomics is working' even as ordinary Americans struggled with inflation. Telling voters not to believe their own lying checkbooks was politically insane."
Rove added, "Mr. Trump is doing the same thing."
During an address on Wednesday, Trump incorrectly claimed that prices for "everything" are decreasing and that "inflation is stopped." Rove criticized Trump for repeatedly "mocked the affordability issue" and for actions that have begun to alienate his core supporters.
He highlighted a specific incident, saying, "On Monday Mr. Trump grabbed the national spotlight when he decided to make a self-absorbed Truth Social post trashing Rob Reiner after he and his wife were gruesomely murdered," suggesting such remarks diminish Trump's standing even among his own base.
"Every day matters," Rove emphasized. "Presidential postings like that chew up valuable time that should be spent winning over tepid supporters or persuading anyone open to voting Republican. It doesn't look good for the GOP next year."
Rove warned that Trump and his team have less than 11 months to regain the trust of disillusioned voters, pointing to an approval rating average of 43.6% as an indicator that Trump "should be focused on building Americans' trust" in his administration.
Other conservative voices, including Fox News host Laura Ingraham and former colleague Bill O'Reilly, have also predicted challenges for the GOP in the midterms.
In conclusion, Rove stated, "The White House is on the wrong track. It had better get its messaging right — both its formal attempts at directing the conversation and Mr. Trump's spontaneous social-media rants. Or else the president won't like the outcome."
