Donald Trump has spent months publicly downplaying the political danger facing Republicans in November.
Behind closed doors, however, his advisers are reportedly giving him a considerably darker picture.
And this time, Trump appears to be listening.
According to a new Washington Post report, Trump has become increasingly sober about the difficult political environment facing the Republican Party as the midterm elections approach.
Four people familiar with Trump’s recent conversations told the Post that advisers have been presenting him with discouraging polling and increasingly direct warnings about the political landscape.
Several advisers have become “increasingly blunt” with the president, according to one person familiar with the discussions.
That alone represents a notable change.
Trump has repeatedly dismissed unfavorable polling as fake or unreliable, while highlighting surveys that show him in a stronger position.
But according to the Post, he has recently become more willing to accept internal polling showing both himself and Republicans struggling with voters.
And one reported acknowledgment stands out.
“He definitely feels like some of his decisions have led to the dynamics where he’s unpopular and things aren’t looking great for the midterms,” one person familiar with Trump’s thinking told the Post.
A second person confirmed that Trump has subtly acknowledged some responsibility for the situation.
There is an important disagreement among the people speaking to the newspaper, however.
Another person who frequently communicates with Trump about the midterms disputed the suggestion that the president has accepted personal blame.
According to that source, Trump believes the biggest problem facing Republicans is much simpler: Trump himself isn’t on the ballot this year.
Publicly, Trump has continued to project confidence.
But his actions suggest that the White House is treating the midterm threat seriously.
Trump has approved spending plans from allied super PACs totaling roughly $140 million as Republicans pour resources into competitive races.
He has also pledged to personally campaign in approximately 35 competitive contests across key states.
According to the Post, Trump’s advisers have drafted a campaign travel schedule and expect his midterm appearances to increase significantly in October.
Trump has told aides that he wants to “fight like hell until Election Day,” according to a person familiar with his thinking.
The shift comes as Republicans confront a difficult national political environment.
A separate Washington Post report this week found Democrats increasingly optimistic about their chances of winning control of Congress, citing Trump’s low approval ratings, persistent voter frustration over prices and the political fallout from the war with Iran.
Republicans themselves have publicly acknowledged the challenging environment.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told the Post this week that “it’s not a great environment for us,” while arguing that Republicans still have strong candidates in competitive races.
There are signs of strain inside the party as well.
Some Republicans running in difficult races have begun creating distance between themselves and parts of Trump’s agenda.
Florida Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar, for example, publicly warned Trump this week that some of his immigration enforcement policies had “gone too far” and said Hispanic voters who helped elect him in 2024 now feel betrayed.
Trump rejected Salazar’s criticism but did not withdraw his endorsement.
Meanwhile, the president has increasingly inserted himself directly into the Republican midterm strategy.
At the GOP’s recent convention in Dallas, Trump urged Republicans to campaign as though he were personally running again.
“I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump told the audience. “Just one more time.”
Whether that strategy helps Republicans is a question voters will answer in November.
But the private conversations reported by the Washington Post reveal something that Trump’s public appearances rarely do.
His advisers are no longer simply telling him that Republicans face a difficult election.
They are reportedly showing him the numbers.
They are becoming increasingly blunt about what those numbers mean.
And according to multiple people familiar with the conversations, Trump is listening.
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