'Therein lies GOP's challenge': Republicans warned they're in trouble despite Dem disarray

Longtime Republican political consultant Karl Rove is warning Republicans they may face major problems at the polls in 2026 despite the turmoil bedeviling Democrats since losing the White House to Donald Trump last November.

In a column for the Wall Street Journal, the former high-ranking member in President George W. Bush's administration wryly noted that both parties seem to be in a race to be more unpopular than the other and that GOP lawmakers need to wake up before it's too late and the midterms are upon them.

Noting how poorly Democrats are doing in the polls when voters are asked which party reflects their greatest concerns, Rove noted that Republicans have their own problems they need to address.

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"Just 39% percent of voters in swing districts believe Democrats have the right priorities and 42% think Democrats share their values. Only 39% think Democrats value work. It’s easy to see why these voters trust the GOP more on inflation by 7 points and the economy by 5. Still, the generic ballot in the Navigator poll was tight, with 42% favoring Democrats and 40% Republicans," he wrote.

He then added, "Therein lies the GOP’s challenge. Americans think the Democrats are terrible, but it’s still a horse race. In part this is because 2024 was much closer than the Republican ebullience today might make you think."

Most concerning for Republicans he noted will be surviving two years of Donald Trump.

"The stock-market decline, stubborn inflation and growing economic pessimism are real problems for the GOP as it looks ahead to 2026 and the possibility of sustaining Mr. Trump’s policies beyond the midterms," he predicted.

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