President Donald Trump's political director, James Blair, said Wednesday he remains confident Republicans can secure victories in the midterm elections, even as recent polling shows declining economic approval ratings and Democrats scored a redistricting win in Virginia.
"We're not ignorant of the history of the midterms obviously, right, but it's way too soon to declare defeat," Blair told CNN's Dana Bash.
"Republicans are in the fight. We have a record to run on, unlike the Biden administration ... and again, our party holds the edge on issues that voters care about."
Bash pressed Blair on a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showing approval of Trump’s handling of the economy at a record low of 30%. Blair said he had not reviewed the poll.
Blair instead pointed to a broader GOP strategy focused on contrasting Republican and Democratic positions on key issues such as crime, border security, and illegal immigration.
"Republicans still maintain the edge, and the midterms are going to be about who do you trust more to deal with these issues that they care about? Republicans in Congress or Democrats in Congress?" Blair said.
In Florida, where lawmakers are reportedly considering new maps that could favor GOP candidates, Blair said he was not involved in discussions but expressed confidence in state leadership.
"I don't talk to the governor. I've not talked to those folks about it," he said. "But again, like I said, I think their track record shows that they know how to draw maps in compliance with Florida law and the Florida constitution, and we will see what they do next week."
Bash noted that past administrations have attempted to frame midterm elections as a choice between parties rather than a referendum on a president's performance. Blair responded by emphasizing policy outcomes.
"It's not about making it a referendum on the president or not," he said. "It comes down to the policies that President Trump and the Republicans have put in place."
Blair also addressed Democrats' narrow victory Tuesday on a redistricting measure that could yield up to four additional seats in the midterms.
He criticized ballot measures in Virginia and California, calling them "illegal under their own state laws."
Blair has played a leading role in efforts to reshape congressional maps in Republican-leaning states, including Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, and Ohio. He defended those initiatives as necessary to ensure equitable representation.
"This is about bringing fairness to what has been done to Republicans and Republicans being represented around the country," Blair said.
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