During a CNN round-table discussion on President Donald Trump's raucous rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday night, Inside Politics host John King said if the president couldn't help the election of the GOP nominee Rick Saccone in the solidly Republican district, voters across the country may see a flood of GOP retirements before the 2018 midterms.
"This is the 18th Congressional District, just south of Pittsburgh in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania," King explained. "Now let's go back in time. This is why the stakes are so important, the president carried this district by almost 20 points. He just barely carried Pennsylvania, but he carried this district by almost 20 points.
"This should be Trump country," he continued. "Just look at the demographics, 93.7 percent white in the 18th congressional district. So this is where Donald Trump runs strong with blue collar, white workers, and Rick Saccone should win this district."
Sharing a clip of Trump blustering before a crowd of supporters about his own popularity on Saturday night, King questioned how it would translate into votes for Saccone and if it will boost the congressional candidate's fortunes as he looks at a possible defeat.
"If Republicans lose this race, they'll blame the candidate, they'll blame the party, some will blame the president," King projected. "It's going to cost at least three, four, five, some people say six, eight, ten more Republicans to say 'Forget about it, the climate is bad out there, if we can't win a district that Trump carried by 20 points.'"
Watch the video below via CNN:
