Washington is beginning to zero in on the midterm elections.
And forecasters are increasing the odds of the Democrats sweeping into power.
But Donald Trump made a decision that just set up Chuck Schumer for the biggest shock of his life.
Establishment Republicans want to rerun the 2008 and 2012 campaigns in November.
From Paul Ryan on down, top Republicans are insisting on campaigning on tax cuts.
But Donald Trump has other ideas.
He intends to campaign on immigration and trade – the America First issues that won him the Presidency.
Breitbart reports:
“President Trump finds the Republican establishment’s plan to run their 2018 midterm election campaigns on the recently passed tax cuts “boring,” according to the New York Times, and will instead focus his efforts on his wildly popular “America First” immigration and trade agenda.
The report by the New York Times reveals the GOP establishment’s efforts to restrain Trump from focusing on his populist immigration and trade agenda—where he advocates for less foreign competition against America’s workers.
The party’s leaders have pleaded with Trump to focus much of his campaign attention on pushing House Speaker Paul Ryan’s tax cuts, a plan backed by the pro-mass immigration billionaire Koch brothers and that they claim will keep them in the majority in the House and Senate.
The New York Times notes:
When House Speaker Paul D. Ryan hosted a meeting of major Republican donors in Austin, Tex., this month, the head of the Congressional Leadership Fund, the primary House G.O.P. super PAC, delivered a presentation with a plea that the party “must sell the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” to retain the House. [Emphasis added]
Defying the GOP’s efforts to run midterm campaigns on Ryan’s brand of republicanism, Trump reportedly finds the tax reform agenda “boring” and instead will continue to focus on his two most popular issues: Reducing immigration and ending unfair free trade.”
Tax cuts are important.
But at Trump rallies, they received polite golf claps.
What really motivated thousands of Americans to attend Trump rallies was his demand for a crackdown on illegal immigration and an end to globalist trade deals that benefited the elites while drying up the industries that built the middle class.
There is a gut level connection between Trump and his voters because Trump speaks to the concerns of the forgotten men and women of America.
Elections are contests of base turnout.
And the Democrats – as all parties out of power do in midterm years – possess an enthusiasm gap.
The GOP’s best chance to hang on in November is to put the issues that spurred record setting GOP turnout in 2016 front and center.
It could save the Senate and deny Chuck Schumer the chance to ascend to the position of Majority Leader.
We will keep you up to date on all the developments in the 2018 elections.
