'They're spinning': Republicans, grappling with midterm anxiety, go negative

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Politico

05/04/2026 06:16 PM EDT


President Donald Trump on Monday gathered more than a hundred small business leaders at the White House to tout tax cuts included in his “Big Beautiful Bill.”. Some of his closest allies worry the president is wasting time. With gas prices approaching record levels and Trump’s approval rating hovering around 37 percent, it’s time for Republicans to go scorched earth on Democrats, GOP operatives insist.

And while Trump has never shied away from blaming the opposition, especially his predecessors, his tendency to deviate from his message — to talk about the new White House ballroom, the reflecting pool or the construction of his “victory arch” — is muddying the negative message allies insist the White House needs to sell heading into the fall.

“You tell people you voted for a tax cut, and they say, ‘That’s nice, that’s good.’ … But what they didn’t tell the voters was, by the way, every Democrat in the House and Senate voted to increase your taxes,” said Trump pollster John McLaughlin. “You’re going to see the Republicans getting more aggressive about the contrast with the Democrats, whether it’s implementing workfare this year, it’s rooting out corruption in food stamps and other things like Medicaid.”. The push comes as Republicans grow increasingly anxious about their midterm prospects.

Holding the House looks unlikely — even with a slew of Southern states redistricting following the Supreme Court’s recent Voting Rights Act ruling. And their grip on the Senate appears tenuous. “Everybody is pretty realistic about the fact that holding the House is going to be extremely difficult,” said a person close to the White House, granted anonymity to speak candidly. “Every day the war goes on, every day gas prices hover around five bucks, it makes it less and less likely, and it’s already very unlikely.” That’s why there is a growing call to dial up the negative rhetoric even at the expense of touting some of the president’s signature accomplishments.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/04/gop-allies-warn-white-house-its-positive-economic-message-is-falling-flat-00905945

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That’s why there is a growing call to dial up the negative rhetoric even at the expense of touting some of the president’s signature accomplishments.

Every damn day there is an avalanche of "negative" - violent threats, juvenile insults, lies and distortions. "Dial up" for them would mean going full-on racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and antisemitic, while going nuclear with their current xenophobia.

[Lovie777]

1. What signature accomplishments.....................

has shithole made?

shithole is effing the USA and her people left, center, and right.

The dollar's value is deceasing. The cost of living on the rise. No healthcare nor an affordable alternative. Job market sucks. Civil rights damn near dead, and voting right is fucked up.

shithole's foreign policies suck, and without approval he started a war he now can't figure out what to do. shithole/administration had no plan.

[underpants]

3. Project 2025 ✅✅✅✅

Other than that he’s just throw money at people to offset the cost increases he and his Big Beautiful Bill have created….and that was before gas skyrocketed.

Into be corrective but LESS healthcare.

[underpants]

2. Every quote reflects their own internal spinning.

McLaughlin is on the right track but then veers into their own hot button Medicaid issue. They seem to be following up - a topic goes from X influencer TO Fox TO Trump and strategy instead of top down.

Gee I’m glad they sought out Sean Spicer’s opinion.

Every quote circles or softens their own internal narrative. Blaming Biden without showing achievements (when you control everything) is lame and tired.

Last quote in the article

“When you are in the minority, bomb-throwing works,” the person said, “not when you are in charge.”

[angrychair]

4. I'm not sure how much more negative they can go

But I strongly encourage them to be as negative as possible and do everything they can to blame Democrats for everything.

Because that isn't how it works when you are in charge. Being in charge means this shitshow is 100% owned by republicans.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. "I'm not sure how much more negative they can go"

They haven't yet plumbed the depths of their craven depravity, which could begin with unleashing their white supremacist base.

[Hey Joe]

8. Actually, I'm all for them doing this in a way

They are just digging a deeper hole even faster than they planned.
Going negative at this point may be just the self inflicted kill shot we need!
After all, things are not getting better for them and prices are rising on everything.

[Maru Kitteh]

14. YES! They should keep crying that we should all be SO GRATEFUL while

out here in real life everyone, especially the red states like mine, will soon be paying $6 and more for gasoline. Every single day. That’s a surefire path to a category 5 Blue takeover. No place would be truly safe for them any more.

The mayorship of Kalispell Montana - in the deepest red county one can imagine, recently flipped BLUE. All things really are possible.

[angrychair]

10. Absolutely, I'm counting on it

The one good thing that I think will come out of this is that republicans will get limited to no value from going down that same old tired talking points they have used for years, I think the constant whining from Mango Mussolini, playing the eternal victim, is ringing a little deaf in the country's ear.

I think the constant complaining and blaming Biden or Obama or Clinton or "libs" is finding a home in a smaller and smaller slice of that electorate.
If anything, to ratchet it up leading into midterms is more likely to received poorly and push more people to Democrats, especially independents.

[SheilaAnn]

6. I'm still digesting signature accomplishments. So confused, sigh. n/t

[travelingthrulife]

7. When haven't Republicans gone negative?? They hate this country.

[SamuelAdams]

9. Have they ever considered passing legislation to improve the lives of ordinary Americans?

[DemocracyForever]

11. GOP going negative won't save them

Their all-out effort to turn our country into a Nazi dictatorship is a disastrous record to run on and we the people know it. Those who were fooled by the Trump/GOP lies in 2024 won't be fooled again in 2026.

[OldBaldy1701E]

12. Well, all I can say is this old adage.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

We know what they are going to be doing.

What are we going to do?

[BumRushDaShow]

13. There's another old adage

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake".

Right now, they are starting to tear themselves apart. We have to make sure that we stay focused and not tear ourselves apart either.

[mdbl]

15. It's obvious no repuglican can be trusted with ANY elected office.