GOP strategist Karl Rove on December 1, 2015 (Jay Godwin/Flickr)
President Donald Trump's cratering approval among voters and the overperformance of Democratic candidates in recent elections have supercharged predictions about the GOP's majorities in Washington getting wiped out by a blue wave in the 2026 midterms. Appearing on Fox News Monday, Karl Rove became the latest prominent Republican to express concerns, claiming that the party is "scared to death" of what's to come.
Rove is most notable for serving as former President George W. Bush's chief of staff from 2001 to 2007, and is often credited as one of the leading architect's of that administration's War in Iraq. Since leaving the office, he has become a prominent Republican political analyst, known for frequent appearances on Fox News.
During his Monday appearance, host Paul Gigot pressed him about the issue of unity in the current Republican Party, to which Rove explained how "cracks" are forming in the party amid Trump's mounting unpopularity and voter dissatisfaction with his policies. This, he added, is causing particular concern about their prospects in next year's midterm elections, which appear poised to hand at least the House over to Democrats and stall Trump's plans considerably. Stuck under Trump's unpopular leadership, GOP lawmakers now lack a strong agenda to campaign on.
“You cannot run in a midterm election by saying, ‘Vote for us because we’ve done a great job,’” Rove said, adding, "Republicans are concerned, and they need to have an agenda going into the 2026 midterms. They don’t have a forward-looking agenda at this moment.”
Rove also noted that Republicans in Congress would rather not have their plans "dictated to them by the White House,” as these lawmakers seem "to have a sense that everything needs to come from the West Wing.”
This echoed comments recently made by an anonymous House Republican to Punchbowl news, in which they expressed anger over the White House's treatment of Congress.
"The arrogance of this White House team is off putting to members who are run roughshod and threatened," the anonymous lawmaker said. "They don’t even allow little wins like announcing small grants or even responding from agencies. Not even the high profile, the regular rank and file random members are more upset than ever. Members know they are going into the minority after the midterms.
“You’ve got to have an agenda that is forward-looking,” Rove said. "What are we going to have in the way of pro-growth policies that Americans will say, ‘Yeah, that’ll make my family and my community and my financial prospects better?'"
"You have to have something that members of the House and Senate come to believe in their souls is important to be done for their country, and is in tune with their principles and convictions," he continued.