President Donald Trump "cares deeply" about the midterms and what Americans are enduring while he focuses on securing a deal with Iran, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said Tuesday.

Hudson pushed back on media interpretations of Trump's recent comments about the 2026 midterm elections, arguing that critics have taken the president's remarks out of context as he works to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and stabilize a volatile Middle East.

Speaking at Axios' AM Live event, Hudson said Trump's statement that he does not "care about the midterms" was directed at Iran's belief that domestic political pressure would force him to back down during negotiations.

"President Trump cares deeply," Hudson told Axios. "The world is safer because of what President Trump has done in Iran."

He added that the president regularly discusses the challenges facing American families and remains focused on addressing them.

The controversy stems from remarks Trump made during a Cabinet meeting last month, when he said Iran believed it could "outwait" him until after the midterm elections and secure a more favorable agreement.

"They thought they were going to outwait me," Trump said, according to multiple reports. "I don't care about the midterms."

The president argued that Iranian leaders wrongly assumed concerns over inflation, energy prices, and political fallout would weaken his resolve.

Instead, Trump insisted his administration's top priority remains preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

According to multiple outlets, Trump told Cabinet officials that Iran had misjudged his willingness to absorb political pressure while maintaining a hard line on national security.

Hudson's defense comes as Democrats and some media commentators attempt to portray Trump's focus on Iran as disconnected from Americans' economic concerns.

However, Republicans argue that preventing a nuclear-armed Iran is directly tied to U.S. security and long-term economic stability.

"The context wasn't that he doesn't care what people are going through," Hudson said. "He cares deeply about what people are going through."

Hudson also discussed the escalating redistricting battles unfolding across the country, arguing Republicans are simply responding to tactics Democrats have used for years.

"It's been a Wild West," Hudson said. "It's a game the Democrats have been playing the entire decade. I think it's about time Republicans got in the game."

The comments come as Republicans work to defend their congressional majorities in 2026 while supporting Trump's foreign policy agenda.

Administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have said diplomacy with Iran continues but stressed the United States will not accept any agreement that allows Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon.

For Republicans, Hudson suggested, the mission remains clear: Support Trump's agenda at home and abroad while demonstrating that national security and economic prosperity go hand in hand.