Trump's political operation is hoarding a $400 million war chest while spending less than $1 million on ads promoting the president himself — not the vulnerable Republicans who need help — and the GOP consultant class cashes checks either way while working Americans pay the inflation tax.
That's the deal in Washington right now: the super PAC stays parked, the ads stroke one man's brand, and the same consultant ecosystem that profits off every ad dollar will be just fine whether Republicans keep Congress or not. The people who won't be fine are the ones already paying higher prices for eggs and prescription drugs — the very items the ads feature Trump talking about.
Securing American Greatness, the nonprofit arm of Trump's political operation, dropped just under $1 million on its first midterm ad buy this week, according to AdImpact tracking. The national spots feature Trump talking up tax breaks and lower prices, with UFC chief Dana White vouching for him. No vulnerable Republican candidate appears in the material. The Washington Post reported the buy follows "Trump's instruction to advisers to promote his record."
One Republican ad maker put it bluntly to the Post: "Like, they think he's popular or something. He's not." Multiple public and private polls put Trump's approval in the mid-30s — at or near historic lows for a president heading into a midterm. Raw Story reported that GOP lawmakers fear a "bloodbath" in November.
Meanwhile, MAGA Inc., the super PAC, sits on more than $400 million, NBC News reported. Republican candidates in tight races are hoping to see some of that money actually deployed on their behalf. People familiar with the discussions say the super PAC "could shift its approach" in future buys — but that shift hasn't happened yet.
At a Rose Garden dinner Wednesday, Trump told his party's most vulnerable lawmakers to run on his record. "All you have to do is talk about it, and you're going to win and you're going to win big," he said, according to AP. The audience of Republican lawmakers listened quietly, occasionally applauding, sipping cocktails at what the gingham-checkered menus called an "end of summer BBQ."
Trump talked up economic investment and lower drug prices using what AP described as "significantly inflated figures," as well as diminished border crossings. He pledged to campaign in roughly 35 races that will determine control of Congress: "I'm going to go to every one of those 35 places, and we're going to see if we can get everyone elected."
But two weeks earlier, Trump told supporters to "pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot." On Wednesday, he told reporters a different story: "I'm not affected by the election. No. 1, I'm not running. My party's running, and I'm going to help my party."
Voters' dim views of the economy and the war in Iran have put Republicans in a tough spot, AP reported. Trump framed the midterm struggle as historical pattern: "Whether you're a good president or a great president, you lose the midterms. We're going to turn that around because there's no reason for it."
The reason might be staring back from the mirror. When a super PAC sits on $400 million while spending less than one-quarter of one percent of it on ads that don't help a single candidate, the party isn't being sold out by the opposition. It's being managed into defeat by its own machinery — and the consultants get paid win or lose.
