Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters said Wednesday he expects the GOP to keep its majorities in both chambers of Congress in November’s midterm elections, projecting that Republicans will win 220 seats in the House and 53 in the Senate.
Gruters made the confident prediction during an appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill” with host Blake Burman, pointing to the party’s candidates, its resources and the president himself.
“But listen, I would say, ‘Bet on us.’ If you look at what we’ve done over the last two years, we have better candidates across the country in both the Senate and the House races, we have a lot more resources to spend,” Gruters said.
The RNC chair also pointed to President Trump as a key asset heading into the final stretch of the campaign.
“And then we have our secret weapon and president, Donald J. Trump, and I say that because we’re going to barnstorm the country,” Gruters continued. “We’re going to do lots of rallies … and we’re going to deliver for the American people.”
Gruters’s upbeat outlook comes shortly after polling numbers suggested President Trump’s approval ratings have fallen to a career low, a political challenge Republicans will have to contend with in November.
As the midterms approach, the GOP faces headwinds from the war in Iran and rising costs. Democrats also lead Republicans in recent polling on some issues, including healthcare and immigration.
Some Republican candidates have taken steps to put distance between themselves and the president as Election Day draws closer. Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds dropped some mentions of Trump’s name from his campaign website this week. Senate candidates Mike Rogers of Michigan and Ashley Hinson of Iowa have also publicly distanced themselves from the president on the issue of the Iran war.
But Gruters made clear he does not think that is the right approach. When asked about Republican candidates distancing themselves from Trump’s agenda, the RNC chair pushed back.
“You lean into the policies that this president has pushed, and you’ll win,” Gruters said.
He argued that the president’s message is one that will resonate with voters.
“We think what the president’s delivered in terms of messaging standpoint, we think it’s a winner,” Gruters told Burman.
The RNC chair’s comments set up a clear strategy for the party in the weeks ahead: rally behind the president, lean into his policies and take the message directly to voters across the country through a series of rallies.
Still, the numbers point to a tough environment for Republicans. As of Wednesday night, Decision Desk HQ, The Hill’s nonpartisan polling partner, placed Trump’s average approval rating at 37.9 percent, with his disapproval rating at 60.7 percent.
Decision Desk HQ is also forecasting that Democrats will win majorities in both the House and the Senate.
With Election Day approaching, Gruters is betting that better candidates, more resources and an aggressive rally schedule featuring the president will be enough to keep both chambers in Republican hands.
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