RNC Chair Joe Gruters’ Mission to Defy Midterm Election History
In a candid conversation with Fox News, Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters revealed his singular focus for the upcoming midterm elections: maintaining the GOP’s precarious majorities in both the House and Senate. Despite the historical trend that typically sees the party in power lose congressional seats during midterms, Gruters exudes confidence in his ability to “defy history” in 2026, largely due to what he calls his “secret weapon” – President Donald Trump.
“I think the President of the United States is our secret weapon… He’s laser focused,” Gruters emphasized during his interview. As a longtime Trump ally who was personally selected by the president to lead the RNC last summer, Gruters believes Trump’s unprecedented agenda during his first year back in office will deliver significant electoral benefits for Republican candidates at every level. The RNC chair pointed to recent presidential campaign stops in three key battleground states, noting that Trump plans to “barnstorm the country with our candidates” in the coming months. Gruters is particularly focused on mobilizing “MAGA voters” who historically don’t turn out when Trump isn’t personally on the ballot, asserting that “there’s nobody that can energize our base more than President Trump.”
When discussing campaign strategy, Gruters highlighted the Republican Party’s substantial fundraising advantage over the Democratic National Committee, proudly stating that “we’re raising a ton of money.” However, he tempered this optimism with caution, acknowledging that success will require flawless execution: “We got to do everything right. We got to make sure we turn our voters out, and we got to make sure that we have people energized.” Looking back at the 2024 elections, when Republicans swept to victory amid widespread concerns about inflation, Gruters believes the party can maintain momentum by focusing on economic issues that resonate with everyday Americans. “There’s been nobody that’s been more focused on affordability than President Trump,” he argued, citing lower gas prices since 2021 and addressing “real pocketbook issues that impact everyday Americans.”
The Democratic response to Gruters’ optimism has been swift and pointed. DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer countered that “one year into his second term, Donald Trump has made one thing unmistakably clear: He doesn’t care about everyday Americans — he only cares about himself and his billionaire donors.” Witmer argued that while working families struggle with grocery, utility, and healthcare costs, Trump has been “busy meddling in foreign countries and palling around with executives, failing to address Americans’ top concerns on the economy.” Democrats are emboldened by their strong showing in the 2025 elections and special elections throughout the year, which they attribute to their own focus on affordability issues. “Voters won’t forget Trump’s betrayal come midterms — and Republicans will have to answer for it,” Witmer predicted.
Gruters, drawing on his background as a certified public accountant, emphasized the economic benefits of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which he described as the president’s signature domestic achievement thus far. “I will tell you that people are very excited about filing their taxes this year. This should be some of the biggest refunds that anybody has gotten,” he claimed. The RNC chair feels confident that Republicans have the winning position on economic issues, stating that “from an affordability standpoint, I think we win hands down based on the policies this president has pushed.” This optimism comes despite polling that shows an overwhelming majority of Americans expressing concern about high prices in recent Fox News national surveys.
The stark contrast in messaging between the two parties was perhaps best illustrated by DNC Chair Ken Martin’s blunt assessment at his party’s winter meeting last month: “S*** is too expensive.” This plain-spoken acknowledgment of economic pressures facing American families underscores the central battlefield for the upcoming midterm elections. As both parties position themselves as champions of affordability and economic relief, voters will ultimately decide whose vision they find more compelling and credible. Gruters and the RNC are betting heavily that Trump’s continued popularity with the base, combined with the party’s fundraising advantage and focus on tax cuts, will be enough to overcome the historical pattern of midterm losses for the party in power. Democrats, meanwhile, are counting on voter dissatisfaction with the economic status quo to drive a reversal of fortune at the ballot box in 2026.
