Trump is a ‘wild card’ in the 2022 midterms — and could help Dems hold the House: Bill Kristol

Democrats face long odds in the 2022 midterm elections, but longtime conservative strategist Bill Kristol explained on Tuesday how Donald Trump may come to the rescue for Joe Biden's party.

"There is hope. Hope isn’t a substitute for hard work. But hard work is harder without hope. Are there any grounds for reasonable hope for pro-Democratic forces in 2022? Yes," Kristol wrote in The Bulwark.

Kristol explained why he thought progress on the pandemic and economy could each result in a point or two gain for Democrats.

"If Democrats could pick up about three points on the congressional ballot over the next nine months, they could hold the House. Such a gain may be unlikely, perhaps even highly unlikely. But it isn’t beyond imagination. Which brings us to the Democrats’ hole card: The Republicans—and in particular the numero uno Republican, the 45th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump. How much could Trump-caused, Trump-aligned, or Trump-adjacent madness damage Republican candidates in 2022?" he asked.

READ: Trump's midterm threats reveal he’s learned an alarming lesson about GOP voters: columnist

Kristol noted that most GOP candidates in the 2022 midterms will be Trump acolytes which could it make it easier for Democrats to turn out their voters. The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol is also expected to unveil its report prior to the start of voting.

"In any case, Trump is an unusual wild card. Or, to slightly mix metaphors, one can say he’s not the card Republicans would want the Texas Hold’em dealer to turn over as the river in October," he wrote. "I’m not a big Texas Hold’em player, but I know enough to know that you don’t want to have to count on the river card to grab a low-probability win. Which is what Democrats will have to do, because the flop has been little help to them. But sometimes all you can do is play your hand well enough to still have a chance on the final card."

Read the full column.