Former Republican strategist Rick Wilson warned Wednesday that Republicans can expect things to get worse after President Donald Trump's performance at a rally in Pennsylvania.
In a Substack essay, Wilson described how Trump's attempt to quell economic concerns with an "issue tour" did not pan out well and "should haunt every endangered Republican in a swing district or a purple state" as 2026 midterm elections loom.
But that's been what Trump wants — to make it all about himself, he explained.
"This was supposed to be Night One of the big comeback on the economy: bold assertions to sell a desperate public a story of economic glory splashed on the banners, the chyron, and whatever’s left of the frontal lobes of Trump’s sycophantic comms team," Wilson wrote.
"Instead, we got the classic Trump triple feature: rambling, profanity-laced rants, racially loaded attacks (it is, after all, the Nick Fuentes party now), and a spray of economic BS that collapses on contact with reality," he wrote.
It could probably be more bleak for the GOP in coming months as Democratic election wins spiked last month and in special elections this week in Georgia and Miami swung blue.
"If this was the peak of the Affordability Fyre Festival, imagine the decline phase: half-empty arenas, weirder tangents, darker racial bile, and less and less connection to the actual subject matter. Please, Donald, I’m begging you to take this show to swing districts and states in 2026. Please," Wilson joked.
Wilson has predicted that if Trump's cognitive decline and poor messaging continues, then it will be a tough battle for the GOP come fall.
"And if that was the high point of this little affordability roadshow, Republicans better buckle up for the downhill run…because it’s coming fast," he added.