President Donald Trump, John Thune (R-SD), U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) on June 24, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Editor's Note: This headline originally said "Newsmax." It has been updated to "News Nation."
The chairman of the Republican Party was pressed about his lackluster pitch to voters for the November 3 election.
Speaking to News Nation, Joe Gruters was asked to explain why President Donald Trump has failed so significantly to deliver the so-called "Golden Age" that he promised upon entering office.
News Nation's Blake Burman asked how much "room" is being given to Republican candidates who are now racing away from Trump. In a recent example, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), one of Trump's biggest supporters, scrubbed his website of any mention of the president or his MAGA loyalty. He's running for governor in deep-red Florida.
But Gruters said the GOP's argument was not to allow Republicans to do whatever they need to do to win. Instead, he claimed that the message coming from the president "is a winner." He cited the TrumpRx website and the GOP's flagship "Big, Beautiful Bill" passed in 2025.
"He's doing everything he possibly can. Listen, he's transformed the Republican Party. Now we're the party of the working man. He's going to bat every single day to make sure everybody's got a chance at the American Dream," said Gruters.
Burman asked about the GOP candidates distancing themselves from Trump and whether they have a green light to do so. Gruters said that candidates can do whatever they want, but if they were smart, they'd "lean in" on "what the president has pushed and you'll win."
Burman cited the Donalds website, asking which Donalds has it right: the one who leans in on Trump or the one who is fleeing Trump. Gruters focused on the fact that Donalds "will be the next governor of Florida" and mentioned what a great "communicator" he is.
“But when you look at what’s going on right now, gas prices nationally, Joe, $4.47 on average. Diesel prices on average, $6.50. Mortgage rates right now are at above 7 percent nationally. Inflation is at 3.4 percent, while average hourly earnings are lower than that, at 3,1 percent,” Burman cited.
But Gruters described it as Trump's "great American comeback," citing investments under the administration.
Burman wasn't buying it. Cutting into Gruters and asking, "Some would say, 'Whoa! Whoa! We’ll come back if, 18 months, in 20 months, in those are the results.'"
That's when the Republican Party chair fell on blaming former President Joe Biden for a poor economy.
“And so this war will come and go. He’ll get things back on track. We just gotta give him more time. We gotta have Republicans in both the House and the Senate," said Gruters.
Still, Burman questioned if voters were willing to accept something
“But there’s going to be some folks who listen to you who just say we got to give him more time. Is that really the pitch heading into November? Give us more time?” he asked.
“He will get America back to work," Gruters insisted. "GDP is high, stock prices are high. Yes, he has empathy for those who are working and who are struggling. We gotta help them, but we help them by growing.”
After all, he argued, the U.S. is better off than the communists in Cuba, Russia or China, Gruters argued.