White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair is considering leaving his role temporarily to lead President Donald Trump's political operation ahead of the midterm elections, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Politico.
"James is a top lieutenant of the President's and has been invaluable to me for the better part of a decade. That is the frame from which we are considering our options," Wiles said in a statement.
She added that considering how best "to deploy a most valuable political asset for success in the midterms" is a commonsense and obvious step.
Blair, who previously served as deputy chief of staff to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is responsible for Trump's 2026 midterm strategy.
He was brought on to run Trump's Florida operation in 2020 by Wiles.
He moved to the presidential campaign in 2023 and played a major role in pulling together support for Trump's marquee legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill.
"James was not only the chief strategist, but also the chief lobbyist," Wiles said.
"Working closely with the president and the team, he helped deliver the biggest legislative package in decades, maybe the largest ever."
Republicans have narrow margins in the House and Senate, and Trump's approval rating has lowered significantly following the U.S. attacks on Iran, according to RealClear Politics.
"You're looking at an ugly November," said veteran Republican pollster Neil Newhouse. "At a point in time when we need every break possible to hold the House and Senate, our edge is being chipped away."
About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say the U.S. military action in Iran has "gone too far," according to AP-NORC polling from March. Only a third approve of how he's handling Iran overall.
The possibility of sending U.S. forces into Iran also appears politically unpalatable.
Six in 10 adults are "strongly" or "somewhat" opposed to deploying U.S. troops on the ground to fight Iran. That includes half of Republicans. Only 1 in 10 favor deploying troops.
At the same time, Trump's approval ratings have remained consistently weak. About 4 in 10 Americans approve of how he's handling the presidency, roughly in line with how it's been throughout his second term.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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