President Donald Trump's top political advisers inside and outside the White House met Tuesday to review polling, messaging, and strategy ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms, Axios reported.
Trump's super PAC and the Republican National Committee have about $530 million available for campaign activities. Those overseeing Trump's political operation are now deciding how, when, and where to spend the money.
The total does not include the hundreds of millions of dollars held by Trump's affiliated 501(c)(4) nonprofit, Securing American Greatness.
The meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C., was the second strategy session to coordinate Trump's political operation with the RNC and GOP candidates.
Trump did not attend, but top advisers did, including pollster Tony Fabrizio, political operations chief James Blair, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, former campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita, and RNC chair Joe Gruters. Most Cabinet members also attended, except Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in the Philippine capital of Manila on official business.
Republicans privately concede that keeping control of the House will be difficult as Trump's approval ratings decline amid higher gasoline prices and the conflict in Iran.
Trump's political advisers, however, argue that Democrats remain vulnerable because many voters view the party as too liberal. They believe the midterm elections will be driven more by which party voters reject than by enthusiasm for either side.
Republicans have also launched an unusual mid-decade redistricting effort that could add as many as 10 GOP-held House seats, potentially strengthening the party's chances of retaining its majority.
History presents a challenge for Trump. The president's party typically loses seats in midterm elections when it controls both the House and Senate, often enough to surrender at least one chamber.
Recent polls also show many voters give Trump poor marks on the economy and do not believe economic conditions are strong.
"[V]oters feel that Trump's economic policies have made things worse — because they have," Democrat pollster John Anzalone said in a July 14 post on X, citing polling from The Wall Street Journal. He also shared a post on X from economist Justin Wolfers that said, "US inflation is the highest in the G7."
One Trump operative involved in Tuesday's meeting said, "The Trump tax cuts have saved people real money, and the president is keeping Americans safe. We have the manpower, the message, and the money to make that clear."
The National Republican Congressional Committee has added seven Democrat-held districts to its midterm target list, bringing its total to 36 seats nationwide, and pointed to 23 Democrats running in districts Trump carried in 2024 as evidence the map favors Republicans.
The RNC closed June with $128.5 million on hand, a record for the party, after raising $16.7 million that month and posting its third straight month of record reserves.