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GOP strategists called to DC as Trump team confronts rising midterm headwinds
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With the six-month mark until Election Day 2026 closing fast, President Donald Trump’s top political advisers are meeting behind closed doors Monday with dozens of leading Republican political consultants from across the country for a strategy session as the party defends its razor-thin House and slim Senate majorities in the midterms.
The meeting, organized by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who was co-chair of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, and Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, comes as the party in power in the nation’s capital faces traditional political headwinds and is expected to lose congressional seats. Republicans are also battling a challenging political climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, and the president’s underwater approval ratings.
The gathering, which was first reported by Politico, is aimed at establishing better coordination and sharing of data and strategy between the White House political team and consultants advising candidates in midterm showdowns.
STRATEGY SESSION: TRUMP’S TEAM HUDDLES ON MIDTERM MESSAGING
President Donald Trump hosts a lunch with the Kennedy Center Board members as chief of staff Susie Wiles looks on at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 16, 2026. (Annabelle Gordon/AFP)
The meeting also comes two weeks after Trump announced that Blair would temporarily step down from his White House role to steer midterm strategy from the outside. The president said in a social media post that Blair would take «a short leave of absence to lead the charge from the outside» against Democrats, and after the midterms would «return again to the White House, so we can finish the job.»
This is the second major gathering ahead of the midterms. Wiles, Blair and other top Trump political advisers met in February at the party’s Capitol Hill Club with Cabinet officials and their top aides to discuss promoting the Trump agenda and other midterm messaging.
Trump made a two-day swing last week to Nevada and Arizona, two crucial swing states in this year’s elections, to highlight the tax cuts that congressional Republicans passed, and which he signed into law last summer.
BACK ON THE TRAIL: TRUMP HITS BATTLEGROUND STATES TO TOUT TAX CUTS
President Donald Trump gestures at a roundtable event about no tax on tips, Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Las Vegas (Lucas Peltier/AP Photo)
The president’s stops were part of a full-court press last week by Republicans, around last Wednesday’s tax filing deadline, to spotlight the tax cuts, which they insist will give them a political boost with voters in the midterms.
The tax cuts were a key component of Republicans’ massive domestic policy measure, which passed almost entirely along party lines in the GOP-controlled House and Senate.
The law, originally titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act but rebranded as the Working Families Tax Cuts, is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities, including extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay.
FIRST ON FOX: GOP TAKES AIM AT DEMOCRATS FOR OPPOSING TRUMP TAX CUTS
President Donald Trump signs sweeping spending and tax legislation, known as the «One Big Beautiful Bill Act,» during a picnic with military families to mark Independence Day, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2025. (Reuters/Ken Cedeno)
But much of the GOP messaging last week was overshadowed by coverage of the war with Iran and Trump’s very public spat with the pope.
Republicans in Congress are increasingly concerned about the political climate ahead of the midterms.
«If we lose the midterms, it’ll be because we didn’t talk about what moms and dads are worried about when they lie down to sleep at night…and that’s primarily the cost of living, GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said Saturday in an appearance on Fox News’ «The Big Weekend Show.»
And pointing to the tax cuts, Kennedy said the «One Big Beautiful Bill is going to help a lot of people in terms of their taxes and a lot of small businesses. And that’s what I wish the president would talk more about. If we talk about it, we’ll win the midterms.»
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Despite the Democratic Party’s poll numbers hitting all-time lows over the past year, Democrats are energized heading into the midterms thanks to a slew of off-year-election and special election victories and over performances, thanks in part to their laser focus on affordability since Trump returned to the White House.
The Democratic National Committee, in an email release Monday to supporters, claimed that «Republicans are in trouble ahead of the midterms — and they know it.»
midterm elections, donald trump, white house, republicans elections, house of representatives, democrats elections, senate
Wall Street cerró la jornada del lunes con una leve baja, tras varios días consecutivos de récords impulsados por la reapertura del estrecho de Ormuz, en medio de las renovadas tensiones entre Estados Unidos e Irán. El S&P 500 cayó un 0,22% hasta los 7.110,22 puntos, el Dow Jones Industrial Average perdió un 0,01% hasta 49.445,24 unidades y el Nasdaq Composite retrocedió un 0,25% para ubicarse en 24.408,00 puntos.
La sesión estuvo marcada por la incertidumbre tras la confiscación por parte de Estados Unidos de un buque de carga iraní que habría intentado evadir el bloqueo de puertos iraníes. Como respuesta, Teherán volvió a cerrar el estrecho de Ormuz, apenas dos días después de haberlo reabierto, lo que había provocado el repunte bursátil de la semana pasada. El Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Irán aseguró el lunes que no existen planes para nuevas conversaciones con Washington. Según un funcionario iraní citado por Reuters, Irán evalúa su participación en posibles negociaciones de paz en Pakistán, aunque otra fuente desmintió que representantes estadounidenses viajen a ese país.
El mercado petrolero reaccionó al contexto geopolítico: el precio del barril de Brent subió 5,6% y cerró en USD 95,48 ante los temores de que Irán pueda restringir la salida de crudo por el Golfo Pérsico, si continúan los bloqueos en el estrecho de Ormuz. Aunque los precios actuales están lejos de los máximos alcanzados en el punto álgido del conflicto, cuando el Brent superó los USD 119 por barril, el reciente incremento impactó en empresas con altos costos de combustible, como Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings y Royal Caribbean Group, que registraron caídas de 3,5% y 1,1% respectivamente. United Airlines perdió 2,8% y American Airlines, tras descartar una fusión con su competidor, retrocedió 4,2%.
En contraste con las pérdidas, TopBuild destacó con un alza del 19,4% después de que QXO anunciara su adquisición por aproximadamente USD 17 mil millones, convirtiéndose en el segundo mayor distribuidor de productos para la construcción que cotiza en bolsa en el continente. Las acciones de QXO, sin embargo, descendieron 3,1% tras la noticia.
Una de las razones que ha fortalecido a la bolsa estadounidense en semanas recientes es la publicación de resultados empresariales superiores a lo esperado para el primer trimestre de 2026. Cerca del 10% de las compañías del S&P 500 ya han reportado sus cifras y, según FactSet, casi nueve de cada diez han superado las previsiones. Las principales entidades financieras, entre ellas JPMorgan Chase y Bank of America, han señalado la solidez del gasto de los consumidores como motor clave para la resiliencia de la economía estadounidense. Morgan Stanley destacó que, pese a los riesgos geopolíticos, la recuperación de las utilidades corporativas persiste, con estimaciones de crecimiento del beneficio por acción del 13% respecto al año anterior si el resto de las firmas igualan las expectativas de los analistas.
El sector de servicios de comunicación fue uno de los más afectados: Meta perdió más del 2% y puso fin a una racha de nueve sesiones al alza, la más extensa desde octubre. Por su parte, Netflix acumula una baja cercana al 12% desde el anuncio de resultados y la salida de su cofundador Reed Hastings la semana pasada.
El índice de volatilidad del CBOE (VIX), conocido como el “indicador del miedo” de Wall Street, revirtió su tendencia bajista y cerró en 19,08 puntos, tras subir 1,57 unidades y alcanzar un máximo semanal de 19,99.
Los movimientos relativamente moderados en la jornada reflejan que los inversores aún consideran posible un acuerdo entre Estados Unidos e Irán que permita reanudar el flujo de petróleo desde Oriente Medio hacia los mercados internacionales. El próximo hito será la expiración del alto el fuego el martes a las 20:00 horas de la costa este estadounidense, momento en que se definirá si las negociaciones logran evitar una nueva escalada.
(Con información de AP y Reuters)
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INTERNACIONAL
Carnival Cruise passenger, 67, found dead while snorkeling off the coast of Australia during excursion
Cruise ship rescues stranded sailor and his cat in Gulf drama
A Carnival cruise ship crew spotted distress flares while sailing to Cozumel, Mexico, and rescued a stranded sailor and his cat at sea. Both were brought safely aboard and received care. FOX 26 spoke with two passengers who were on board the ship when the rescue occurred. (credit: Fox 26/Alan Loy)
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A 67-year-old Carnival Cruise passenger died last week while snorkeling off the coast of mainland Australia during an excursion.
The woman, who has not been publicly identified, was a passenger aboard the Carnival Splendor, which offers snorkeling excursions to the Tangalooma Wrecks. She reportedly drowned near Moreton Island on April 17, Cruise Hive reported.
«Carnival Cruise Line is deeply saddened by the death of a guest on Moreton Island on Friday,» the cruise line told local media. «Our Care Team is supporting the guest’s family during this difficult time.»
Fox News Digital has reached out to Carnival.
FATAL FIRE ENGULFS CRUISE SHIP WITH HUNDREDS OF PASSENGERS ABOARD: ‘I PANICKED’
«Carnival Cruise Line is deeply saddened by the death of a guest on Moreton Island on Friday,» the cruise line told local media. (iStock)
Local authorities said the woman, a resident of Tasmania, was found unresponsive in the water.
«Attempts were made to revive the woman, however, she was pronounced deceased at the scene,» a Queensland Police spokesperson told Fox News Digital. «Investigations are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding her death.»
CRUISE PASSENGERS WITNESS TERRIFYING RESCUE AT SEA AS STRANDED MAN AND CAT PULLED FROM FAILING SAILBOAT
The Carnival Splendor in Australia, near the Sydney Opera House. A passenger on the ship reportedly died last week while snorkeling off the coast of Brisbane. (Carnival Cruise Line)
The death occurred during the ship’s four-night round trip cruise from Sydney, which included two days at sea and 10 hours at Moreton Island.
The waters around the island, located off the coast of Brisbane, are generally calm and are known for shipwreck snorkeling sites and diverse marine life.
The waters around the island, located off the coast of Brisbane, are generally calm and are known for shipwreck snorkeling sites and diverse marine life. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service)
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The woman’s death occurred only hours before another emergency on the same ship. On April 18, a passenger in his 70s reportedly climbed over the vessel’s safety rails and went overboard.
An intensive search lasted for several hours before being suspended. The two incidents are not believed to be linked.
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INTERNACIONAL
Spanberger faces ‘bait-and-switch’ backlash in final hours before redistricting referendum
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Opponents of Virginia Democrats’ redistricting referendum are accusing Gov. Abigail Spanberger of a «bait and switch,» pointing to her campaign-trail pledge of «no plans» to redraw the state’s congressional map ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
Former Virginia Govs. George Allen and Glenn Youngkin, along with a slew of top conservatives, have opposed the effort, which would redraw the commonwealth’s 6-5 Democratic map to a 10-1 map crafted by Senate President L. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and backed by Spanberger.
«Behold the great bait and switch,» Del. Michael Webert, R-Fauquier, said, sharing a screenshot of October reporting highlighting Spanberger’s apparent pledge not to support what she now is vocally behind.
«Vote No,» said Webert, whose district forms a boundary between the Washington, D.C., suburbs set to accrue political power if the referendum passes and the hundreds of miles of rural expanse south and west that are poised to lose their voice.
SOROS-BACKED GROUP AMONG LIBERAL ORGS PUMPING EYE-POPPING CASH INTO VIRGINIA GERRYMANDERING EFFORT
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, is being criticized for signing a bill that critics say hand the state’s electoral votes away. (Steve Helber/AP Photo; Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The latter is a major concern for U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, a Botetourt Republican whose district runs from Roanoke to the northernmost West Virginia line at Berryville along the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley, which Cline said stand to lose their otherwise homogenous voice in Washington.
Cline told Fox News Digital how Spanberger was previously a colleague on the House Agriculture Committee and «loved to talk about her connection to Virginia agriculture.»
«My district is currently the most agriculture-based district in Virginia and she has chopped it into five different districts and parceled it out to Northern Virginia Democrats to use to make their numbers work,» he said, adding that the referendum is offensive to Virginia farmers in particular.
In separate comments to «Ruthless», Cline expounded on that point, saying the people of his current district stand to lose their voice because they will be split into five «spaghetti strands» originating from Arlington and Fairfax.
«But we’re optimistic we’re going to be able to stop the governor in her tracks,» he said.
OBAMA URGES VIRGINIANS TO VOTE YES ON REDISTRICTING MEASURE THAT COULD GIVE DEMOCRATS 4 MORE HOUSE SEATS
«They’ve pulled her ad from even running, yeah, because she’s so unpopular,» he said.
Spanberger had been featured in a multi-million-dollar advertising campaign encouraging voters to support the redistricting referendum, but the Virginia Scope reported that ad was recently pulled from circulation.
«[The situation] slid south for her and that’s what happens when you play bait-and-switch with the voters,» Cline said.
However, the Vote YES campaign denied Cline’s characterization in a statement to Fox News Digital.
«This is false,» the campaign said. «We’re running a strong statewide campaign featuring a range of voices — including Governor Spanberger. This election is about stopping Trump’s power grab and leveling the playing field — and that’s exactly what a YES vote does.»
In his remarks to «Ruthless,» Cline also cited the fact several Fairfax-area Democrats are already launching bids for the yet-unconfirmed «lobster»-shaped redrawn seat that is the most prominent slice of his district.
VIRGINIA CONGRESSMAN SAYS SPANBERGER WANTS TO ‘TURN US INTO NEW ENGLAND’
«I didn’t think Dan Helmer could find Shenandoah Valley on a map, but yet he’s going to be campaigning and asking for votes [here],» he said of the far-left delegate from Fairfax who helped spearhead the redistricting effort itself.
Helmer, a combat veteran, also crafted the commonwealth’s sweeping gun control bill lambasted as a «gun grab.»
«You have a leader in the Virginia House of Delegates, on the Democratic side, who crafts maps for his benefit… They’re enacting laws to help them get elected to Congress, not enacting laws to help Virginians get ahead» Del. Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke, told the Virginia Mercury of Helmer’s position.
When asked about Cline and others criticizing his decision to run in the redistricted district, Helmer told Fox News Digital that as the Virginia House Democrats’ campaign chair, he already succeeded in such rural areas.
«I’ve campaigned in every corner of this district — from Rockingham to Louisa, Arlington to Powhatan. Because of those efforts, 14 MAGA Republicans [in the state legislature] are now unemployed and doom scrolling LinkedIn instead of harming Virginia families — and this November, we’re going to add Ben Cline to that list,» Helmer said.
Several other Democrats including former first lady Dorothy McAuliffe and JP Cooney — an ex-aide to Jack Smith — are also running there.
Turning to the new maps, only Rep. Morgan Griffith’s district stands to remain Republican.
House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, represents much of that district in Richmond and has joined barnstorming efforts by Youngkin and former Attorney General Jason Miyares across his far southwestern district.
Youngkin’s 2021 victory was pegged in-part to Republicans running up the score in albeit sparsely populated counties like Wise, Scott, Dickenson and Lee, and the same strategy appeared afoot in the closing weeks of early voting.
DAVID MARCUS: RICH MEN NORTH OF RICHMOND SET TO STEAL THE VOTES OF RURAL VIRGI
In Dickenson County, home to late music legend Ralph Stanley, Kilgore recently joined local leaders to call for a surge to the polls.
«We just want everybody to vote ‘No’,» he said, as state Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Bristol, reported 500 people had already early voted in the sparse county that day.
«We can win this,» Kilgore said. «We do not want Fairfax County controlling our congressional districts and we want to protect rural Virginia.»
At the other end of the commonwealth, where another rural region is set to be sliced up and attached to Fairfax, Rep. Rob Wittman of the Northern Neck echoed concerns similar to Cline’s.
«Governor Spanberger said it clearly: ‘I have no plans to redistrict Virginia’. But now, Richmond politicians are pushing a referendum to do exactly that—redraw congressional maps in the middle of the decade,» Wittman said.
«A 10-1 map would erase millions of voices – that’s not representation; that’s partisan gerrymandering,» he said.
Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley — who issued an injunction against the referendum until the state Supreme Court stepped in — also led criticism of the term «restore fairness» being used on the ballot as the official description of what voting yes would do.
Hurley said the language was unconstitutionally misleading and that «[it] would lead a voter to believe he or she were doing something unfair by voting against the proposed amendment.»
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While the higher court mooted whether the election could move forward, filings from plaintiffs and defendants on the merits of the case are due Thursday – when the bench will ultimately decide whether to undo any prospective passage of the referendum.
Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger, Helmer and Virginians for Fair Elections for comment.
democrats elections, abigail spanberger, governors, virginia, republicans elections
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