Donald Trump's hand-picked chair of the Republican National Committee, Joe Gruters, repeatedly admitted this week that Republicans are "facing almost certain defeat" in the upcoming midterms. Now, Republicans are in a full-blown meltdown for being called out, throwing tantrums on social media.

Trump's failed economic policies have fueled soaring inflation and mass layoffs, all while Trump hands out massive tax cuts to his billionaire donors. His self-proclaimed "A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus" economy has been catastrophic for working families, and voters have had enough. It's no wonder even Trump's closest allies believe that Republicans have a "pending, looming disaster" on their hands.

In response, DNC Communications Director Rosemary Boeglin released the following statement:

"Donald Trump and his cronies have taken a wrecking ball to the economy, and now they're saying the quiet part out loud: Republicans are headed for a humiliating defeat in next year's midterms. Americans are tired of being left out to dry while Trump enriches his billionaire buddies and uses the presidency for his personal gain. To make matters worse, Republicans just refused to extend the enhanced ACA premium tax credits, which will send premiums skyrocketing for over 20 million Americans. Trump can dismiss affordability as a 'hoax' - but voters aren't buying it. While Republicans throw a hissy fit, Democrats are laser-focused on lowering costs for Americans and winning back the majority."

The Bulwark: Trump's Hand-Picked RNC Chair Predicts Doom
[Andrew Egger, 12/12/2025]

• Gruters: "It's not a secret. There's no sugarcoating it. It's a pending, looming disaster heading our way."
• Gruters: "We are facing almost certain defeat."
• Gruters: "The chances are Republicans will go down and will go down hard."
• Gruters: "You hit the nail on the head. This is an absolute disaster. No matter what party is in power, they usually get crushed in the midterms."
• These pessimistic assessments of Republicans' chances in next year's midterms are the sort of thing you'd expect to hear from disgruntled GOP operatives outside the MAGA camp.
• This week, however, they've been coming from someone way crazier: Joe Gruters, the Trump-diehard chair of the Republican National Committee, who has been barnstorming conservative radio this week.
• This week, I spoke to a number of swing-state GOP operatives about Trump and the midterm environment. And they were pretty blunt. To them, the biggest reason Republicans seem bound for disaster isn't historical midterm trends. It's the world the president has built for them to run in-particularly when it comes to affordability.
• "[Trump's] message sucks. It's absolute trash. 'Affordability is a Democrat hoax'??? Give me a break," said one strategist, a veteran of presidential and congressional campaigns.
• "Nobody believes the economy and particularly affordability is getting better."
• Asked about Trump's affordability message, a Georgia-based Republican wrote simply: "It's landing like doo doo," before sending a screenshot of the results of this week's shock Democratic victory in a special election in a normally red Georgia state House district.
• According to a third GOP strategist, Republicans are likely to find themselves in particularly bad shape next year precisely because Trump demands that they stay loyal to him.
• Even when he can be talked into talking about affordability, though, Trump can't help falling back into meta-narratives about how unfair it is for him to have to talk about it at all.
• "This isn't going to get better unless he either, one, shuts off the tariffs and starts a real economic turnaround, or two-well, I don't know what two is," the first strategist said. "I think the GOP is looking at a very rough midterm."