President Donald Trump appears prepared to distance himself from a potential Republican loss in the House of Representatives, telling reporters on Sunday that he has been largely focused with the Senate for some time.
“My primary focus, of course, has been on the Senate because there are so many people in the House—and that’s a lot of stops,” Trump said as he departed the White House for a rally in Georgia to support Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp. “But I have done some House-work also but I think we’re going to do well on the House.”
“With so many people in Congress, with so many people in the House, it’s hard to make those stops.”
President Donald Trump on the midterms: “I think we are going to do well in the House, I think we are going to do really well in the Senate … the level of fervor, the level of fever is very strong on the Republican side” pic.twitter.com/WHrn1NNiYE
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) November 4, 2018
The remarks, which came just as a fresh round of polls showed Democrats with an edge in the midterms, are yet more evidence that Republicans see their hopes of retaining both chambers of Congress fading. Trump recently acknowledged the increasing likelihood Democrats will gain control of the House of Representatives, telling supporters at a rally Friday that it “could happen.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Trump nevertheless assured. “I’ll just figure it out.”
Trump has repeatedly said that he views the election as a referendum on both his presidency and himself. But if his latest comments are any indication, it’ll only be a referendum he intends to take responsibility for in the Senate, where Democrats face longer odds.
The president was not the only member of his administration to focus on the Upper Chamber this weekend. “We are not even talking about losing in the Senate,” Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway told Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro. “Think about that. That’s historic.”
Whatever happens Tuesday, Paul Ryan can at least be grateful Trump doesn’t plan on blaming him for a possible House loss.
