White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles hasn't informed President Donald Trump yet, but she plans to push him aggressively onto the campaign trail ahead of the 2026 midterms.
"So, I haven't quite broken it to him yet, but he's going to campaign like it's 2024 again for all these people that he helps. He doesn't help everybody, but for those he does, he's a difference-maker and he's certainly a turnout machine," Wiles said on "The Mom View" podcast.
Wiles said on the podcast that presidents generally avoid deep midterm engagement, but argued Trump's campaigning could be vital to keeping a Republican Senate majority.
"He's going to have a fun next year, but we're going to put him on the campaign trail, too ... Typically, in the midterms, it's not about who's sitting at the White House," Wiles said. "You localize the election and you keep the federal officials out of it."
However, Republicans head into 2026 facing tough Senate maps, aggressive Democrat fundraising, and shifting suburban battlegrounds. The party must guard against voter fatigue, unify its base, and counter a well-organized left determined to regain momentum.
Strong messaging and turnout efforts will be critical to securing majorities, something that Wiles said is right up Trump's alley.
"We're actually going to turn that on its head and put him on the ballot. Because so many of those low-propensity voters are Trump voters. And we saw a week ago Tuesday what happens when he's not on the ballot and not active."
Wiles was referring to the special election won by Republican Rep. Matt Van Epps in Tennessee's deep-red 7th District. The unexpectedly narrow margin jolted Republicans and raised concerns inside the party.
Jason Roe, a Republican strategist, told The Associated Press that there were "danger signs" and noted that Republicans "shouldn't have had to spend that kind of money to hold that kind of seat."
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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