A longtime Republican strategist warned Wednesday that President Donald Trump has become his party’s biggest messaging problem heading into the crucial midterm elections.
Kevin O. Igoe, a former Republican National Committee official and Reagan White House appointee, argued in an opinion piece for The Hill that Trump’s constant reversals and focus on subjects voters don’t care about are weighing down vulnerable Republicans.
“My prescription to help Republicans salvage at least a tie in the Senate in the upcoming midterms is for President Trump to sit down, talk a lot less and stay off camera,” Igoe wrote. “You and I both know that is never going to happen — not now, and not in 2028.”
Igoe told readers that Trump’s comments have become “an anchor around the neck of Republicans” running in competitive states and districts.
He pointed to Trump’s focus on redesigning Dulles International Airport and building a White House ballroom while American families struggle to afford everyday expenses.
“The president has reverted to his days as a developer, a profession in which progress is defined as moving dirt,” Igoe wrote Wednesday. “That is not how hardworking American families define progress.”
Igoe also cited Trump’s trade fights with Canada and his refusal to remain focused on affordability concerns affecting voters. The former Reagan official warned that such moves especially hurt Republican candidates in Maine, Michigan, and farm states affected by tariffs.
“This is what happens when the person in charge always believes that he is the smartest person in the room,” Igoe wrote, adding a parting message to the president's base.
“For my MAGA friends, it is time to understand that Trump’s gut does not rule the world,” he concluded. “If you actually want to win an election that is a referendum on Trump’s presidency, I suggest you get him off camera and take his phone away.”