Republicans will have to woo Independent and swing voters — and emphasize the strength of the economy — if they want to maintain control of the House in this fall's midterm elections, GOP strategist Karl Rove said Thursday.
In an interview on Fox News' "The Daily Briefing," the former White House deputy chief of staff for President George W. Bush said the momentum has been swinging to Democrats in key Midwestern states "because Democrats have had a good fundraising quarter."
More concerning, Rove said, however, is President Donald Trump's drop in approval among Independent voters.
"Republicans can't do it with Republicans only," Rove said. "They have to have Republicans and swing voters in order to win these races."
"They have to be reminded what [Trump is] doing right," Rove said. "Number one in the recent polls has been the economy . . . so spend more time talking about the economy . . . what it is you intend to do to help make people's lives better. The economy is good. This should be . . . a recipe for victory."
Rove also weighed in on the announcement by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a leader of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, that he would run for Speaker of the House.
"My sense is this is more about getting leverage, about saying 'I control a block of votes in the House Freedom Caucus . . . so you have to come to me, and I'll have a list of demands if you want our support,'" Rove said.
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