A conservative pollster has some bad news for the GOP: President Donald Trump’s sagging poll numbers could cost the party control of both houses of Congress.
“I think the Republicans are in deep trouble in the House and the Senate as well,” Frank Luntz said on Sunday on Fox News. “If the election were held today, frankly, I think Republicans would lose both.”
He said the economy is in good shape, but Trump isn’t getting credit for it.
Luntz indicated the GOP still has plenty of time to turn it around, but they’ll need some help from the president.
“If Donald Trump wants to keep a Republican Congress, he has to differentiate when he’s attacking Congress in general versus the Republicans in Congress,” Luntz said. “Differentiate when he’s attacking the press versus when he feels he’s not getting a fair shake.”
He also urged Trump to tweet less.
While some analysts have said the Democrats have an edge when it comes to taking the House in this year’s midterm election, the Senate is another story.
Democrats are not only defending more seats in the upper chamber, but several are in states Trump won in 2016, including Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, North Dakota and West Virginia.
However, Luntz’s comments echo those made by GOP leaders.
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) admitted the party was facing a “challenging” year.
“We know the wind is going to be in our face,” he told Kentucky Today. “We don’t know whether it’s going to be a Category 3, 4 or 5.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) issued an even starker warning last month.
“If conservatives are complacent, and mark my words, we are going to see historic turnout from the extreme left in November,” Cruz told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in early March. “Which means if conservatives stay home, we have the potential, we could lose both houses of Congress.”
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