U.S. President Donald Trump in Yokosuka, Japan, October 28, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Although President Donald Trump continues to struggle with low approval ratings, he remains the dominant figure in the Republican Party. And according to New York Times reporters Tim Balk, Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman, this presents a major Catch 22 for Republicans.
On one hand, they report, Trump's unpopularity makes him a "liability" for the GOP in the 2026 midterms. But on the other hand, Republicans need the massive fundraising and the energy that he brings to the table. And this complex situation has them in a "bind."
Balk, Goldmacher and Haberman report, "Mr. Trump, who has managed to revive his standing after past spells of widespread unpopularity, has started to put himself at the center of the midterms. He has urged supporters to 'pretend' he is on the ballot and suggested he will spend significant campaign cash reserves. Democrats are just as eager for him to play a starring role."
Democratic strategists, according to the Times reporters, welcome Trump's involvement in the midterms — which they hope to use to their advantage in a variety of races as they "make the" midterms "a referendum on Mr. Trump."
"Many Republicans are hoping for financial support from the president's well-funded but tightfisted super PAC, MAGA Inc., which came to the rescue of Sen. Darline Graham in her hotly contested Republican runoff this week," Balk, Goldmacher and Haberman explain. "The group flooded the contest with more than $800,000 worth of voter calls and text messages. There are signs of deeper involvement to come in races against Democrats. At a meeting in the Oval Office this month, Mr. Trump met with senior advisers and a small number of ad makers who had signed up with MAGA Inc., according to two people briefed on the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation. The existence of the meeting was first reported by The Atlantic."
The Times reporters stress that "one of the biggest variables on the minds of Republicans is money" because Trump "has kept them guessing about how MAGA Inc. might deploy its massive war chest."
GOP strategist Mike Hahn told the Times, "MAGA Inc. is sitting on a small nation's GDP, and certainly their money is welcomed."
According to GOP strategist Brendan Steinhauser, Republicans will have to do some careful maneuvering in the weeks ahead.
Steinhauser told the Times, "It's a difficult one. I think it'll be very subtle. I think it'll be district by district."
But Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) believes that Trump will do his party more harm than good in the midterms, which are set for Tuesday, November 3.
Raskin told the Times, "Donald Trump controls the Republican caucus in Congress like a bunch of trained seals. This is essentially what the November elections are about."
Similarly, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chair Kirsten Gillibrand told the Times, "Republicans have been unwilling to stand up to Trump policies. Voters are going to vote differently. If they voted for Trump the last time, I don't know that they'll vote for a Republican this time."
