'Kerfuffle' as Trump aides fan out to sell agenda — and get pummeled by MAGA

U.S. President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 24, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

With the 2026 midterms a little over two months away, members of the Trump administration are traveling around the United States in the hope of avoiding a midterms disaster for the Republican Party. But according to Politico, they aren't calming the nerves of frustrated voters — many of whom aren't shy about saying why they're so angry.

Journalists Megan Messerly, Myah Ward and Alex Gangitano, in Politico, report that Trump officials are trying to "sell his accomplishments and shore up key constituencies ahead of the midterms" — only "it isn’t quite working out that way."

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, for example, visited Iowa in the hope of rallying farmers, but ran into widespread discontent. And Energy Secretary Chris Wright went to New Hampshire last week "to tout natural gas pipelines and got hit with questions about $4 gasoline prices," according to the Politico reporters.

"The Cabinet barnstorming is key to the administration's midterms messaging strategy," according to Messerly, Ward and Gangitano. "Secretaries have used visits to promote administration policy and gin up local news coverage. But Rollins' recent visit to Iowa is emblematic of the broad discontent the administration is contending with, and the ways its surrogates are being knocked off message by an electorate that is deeply skeptical of some of its policies. That includes some historically loyal constituencies: Ranchers and farmers are furious over Trump's recent decision to import 300,000 metric tons of beef and sell them at discounted prices."

The reporters continue, "Rollins did not disown the decision — defending Trump's focus on lowering prices for consumers — but didn't exactly embrace it either, telling reporters earlier this week that she hadn't discussed the specific policy with the president."

According to the Politico journalists, this "Cabinet kerfuffle comes at a time when the president's envoys are needed most."

Messerly, Myah Ward and Gangitano report, "The midterms are less than three months away, the president's approval rating is near record-lows, and the White House is on a mission to remind voters of all it believes it has accomplished in the last two years, including a spate of tax cuts, improved border security and reductions in violent crime."An Iowa-based GOP operative, interviewed on condition of anonymity, isn't surprised that Trump officials are running into anger and frustration in that state.

The operative told Politico, "If you just look at how it's animating people here, if you just look at the breadth of the headlines coming out from it, it's a challenge. It has legs, to be honest. You don't have to go further than to look at how (Democratic gubernatorial candidate) Rob Sand and them are using it. They clearly think it's an issue."

Moreover, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Secretary Lee Zeldin, they report, is running into anger over data centers, while Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is encountering frustration from GOP voters over immigration.

MAGA Republican and "War Room" host Steve Bannon told Politico, "Everyone in MAGA knows Markwayne Mullin is a squish on immigration enforcement — look at the lack of (temporary protected status) removals or work site raids — they have to hide him. Bobby (Kennedy), (Scott) Bessent, Marco (Rubio) you can promote — DHS no way."

GOP strategist Matthew Bartlett told Politico, "Instead of assuring voters, they end up raising more questions and sometimes showing the liability that this entire administration has across the board. It's hard to point to a good spokesman or even a high point in this administration right now, and certainly the polls reflect it. So, I'm just not sure that sending every Cabinet member and their mother out on the campaign trail is going to help. Instead of solving a problem, you end up creating divisions."

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