Overview
- White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said Trump will "campaign like it's 2024 again," breaking with the usual midterm practice of keeping presidents at arm's length.
- A White House official said Trump will undertake a yearlong national tour focused on his economic agenda, with the first stop planned for Pennsylvania.
- Wiles said Trump began raising money for the midterms the day after the election and is "sitting on a huge war chest" to boost Republican candidates.
- The strategy follows GOP warning signs in recent contests, including a Democratic sweep in off-year races and a closer-than-expected Tennessee special election, with narrow House and Senate majorities at stake.
- Democrats publicly welcomed the plan and analysts cautioned it could energize both parties’ voters, noting polling shows the president’s approval rating is underwater.