RNC Chair Joe Gruters calls Trump ‘secret weapon’ for 2026 GOP midterms

EXCLUSIVE – Republican Nationwide Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters says he has “one purpose” this 12 months: to make sure the Republican Occasion retains its fragile majority within the Home of Representatives and restricted management of the Senate in November’s midterm elections.

What makes Gruters’ mission harder: The get together in energy, which at this level is clearly the Republicans, historically faces political headwinds and normally loses seats in Congress halfway by elections.

However the RNC chairman, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump who the president picked final summer time to helm the get together’s nationwide committee, says he has a “secret weapon” to “defy historical past” and win seats within the 2026 election.

“I believe the president of the USA is our secret weapon… He’s laser-focused,” Gruters praised in a nationwide digitally unique sit-down interview with Fox Information.

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President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to ship remarks on the American financial system and affordability on the Mount Ethereal On line casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, December 9, 2025. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Referring to Trump’s unprecedented agenda throughout his first 12 months again within the White Home, Gruters argued, “I believe it may have large good points throughout the board, whether or not you run for governor, the Senate, the Home of Representatives, or whether or not you run for a neighborhood seat.”

Democrats see it in another way, as they spotlight Trump’s underwater approval scores and Individuals’ deep issues about persistently excessive costs.

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The Republican Occasion additionally faces a low propensity problem: MAGA voters who do not all the time go to the polls if Trump’s identify is not on the poll.

However Gruters famous that Trump has made stops in three key midterm election battleground states in current weeks and stated the president is “going to take the nation by storm with our candidates.”

President Donald Trump leaves Air Power One upon his return from Detroit, Michigan, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on January 13, 2026. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

The RNC chairman additionally highlighted the get together’s formidable fundraising benefit over the rival Democratic Nationwide Committee (DNC), noting that “we’re elevating a ton of cash.”

However he warned: ‘We now have to do all the things proper. We now have to verify we flip away our voters, and we now have to verify we energize individuals. And there’s no one who can energize our base greater than President Trump.”

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Gruters, who was interviewed forward of subsequent week’s RNC winter assembly, additionally argued that “there is not any another targeted on affordability than President Trump. Take a look at fuel costs, the bottom costs since 2021, take a look at egg costs, actual pocketbook points impacting on a regular basis Individuals, what the president is concentrated on, and he isn’t carried out but.”

Deep issues about inflation led Trump and the Republicans to main victories on the poll field in 2024, after they gained again the White Home and the Senate and retained their majority within the Home.

However Democrats say their decisive victories are in hand The November 2025 electionsand their overperformance in particular elections and different poll field showdowns final 12 months had been fueled by their laser deal with affordability.

“A 12 months into his second time period, Donald Trump has made one factor unmistakably clear: He does not care about on a regular basis Individuals — he solely cares about himself and his billionaire donors. Whereas working households battle to afford groceries, utilities and well being care, and fear about discovering a job, Trump is busy meddling overseas and coping with executives, and is failing to handle Individuals’ largest issues concerning the financial system,” DNC Speedy Response Director Kendall Witmer argued in an announcement.

And pointing to the midterm elections in November, Witmer predicted: “Voters won’t neglect Trump’s betrayal within the midterm elections – and Republicans must reply for it.”

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However Gruters, who was a licensed public accountant (CPA) earlier than taking up the RNC, highlighted the sequence of tax cuts within the “One Massive Lovely Invoice Act,” Trump’s signature home coverage achievement up to now in his second time period.

“I’ll inform you that individuals are very enthusiastic about submitting their taxes this 12 months. This needs to be one of many largest refunds anybody has ever acquired,” he stated.

The price of dwelling has been one of many prime points on the poll field in recent times. And an awesome majority questioned in a Fox Information Nationwide Ballot carried out expressed issues about excessive costs final month.

Gruters, who has been selling Trump’s agenda, informed Fox Information Digital that from an affordability perspective, undoubtedly, we expect we’re profitable based mostly on the insurance policies this president has put in place.

Democrats disagree.

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Gruters’ rival, DNC Chairman Ken Martin, stated it bluntly final month on the nationwide get together’s winter assembly.

“S*** is simply too costly,” Martin identified.