Overview

• Jonathan Lemire argues that President Trump’s flurry of moves is driven by concern that Democrats could reclaim a chamber next year and use oversight powers against him.
• The analysis links calls for GOP-led re-gerrymanders, a federal intervention in Washington, D.C., and public pressure on the Federal Reserve to a defensive posture focused on short-term gains.
• It says Trump has urged Republicans to hold fewer town halls and has downplayed his own “Big, Beautiful Bill,” while a planned national housing emergency is portrayed as an effort to blunt cost-of-living attacks.
• Lemire reports aides view nationalizing the midterms as the objective, noting Trump has even mused about staging a 2026 party convention.
• Reaction is mixed, with pollster Adam Carlson predicting the approach will backfire and GOP voices like Susan del Percio warning pocketbook concerns will outweigh these tactics.