Trump Team Warns Border Message “Does Not Resonate” in Midterm Data
Susie Wiles convened senior Trump political operatives on Capitol Hill Tuesday night to outline the party’s midterm strategy, signaling where Republicans believe the fight will be won.
The closed-door meeting, first detailed by Mark Halperin, brought together roughly 75 to 100 attendees for nearly two hours at the Capitol Hill Club, including cabinet members and senior aides.
According to Halperin, Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio presented about 25 slides focused on voter sentiment, demographic shifts, and which issues resonate most in battleground races.
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The economy was described as the central issue of the election. Fabrizio’s data reportedly showed strong response to proposals such as banning stock trading by members of Congress, increasing transparency in health insurance pricing and reimbursements, lowering prescription drug costs, and defending the Trump tax cuts.
But some expected themes tested weaker than anticipated.
Taking credit for closing the border “does not resonate much,” Halperin reported from the session.
Strategists also emphasized persuadable voters — men, moderates, independents, and Hispanic voters — and recommended shifting more campaign time to podcasts and social media instead of national broadcast interviews.
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Facebook was identified as the most effective voter platform, followed by Instagram and TikTok.
The team is currently focused on six targeted House races and seven key Senate contests, with additional historical data presented by James Blair underscoring how rare it is for a president’s party to avoid midterm losses.
Attendees expect Democrats to campaign heavily on a “Stop Trump” message.
The session reflects a data-driven recalibration as both parties prepare for a volatile midterm cycle.
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