Former President Donald Trump could cost the Republican Party control of Congress if he announces a presidential bid before the midterm elections in November, GOP pollster Frank Luntz said.
Shortly after losing the 2020 presidential election, Trump began teasing the possibility of a 2024 bid—potentially setting up a rematch with President Joe Biden, with some political experts saying he could launch his campaign in the months leading up to the midterms, when Republicans are favored to win a majority in the House of Representatives.
But Trump announcing a run before November could spoil Republicans’ hopes of winning majorities in Congress, as he remains unpopular with the swing voters who tilted the 2020 election in favor of Biden, said Luntz during an appearance on MSNBC‘s Morning Joe.
Luntz warned that if the midterm elections are about Trump—rather than about topics such as the economy, which has become a sore spot for the Biden administration—Republicans in swing seats might suffer.
“If he does announce, he could actually cost the Republicans the House as well as the Senate,” he said. “If the election is about the economy, Republicans win both. If the election is about Donald Trump, Republicans lose both.”
Trump Putting Republican Control of Congress at Risk: GOP Pollster (newsweek.com)