RNC chair bets on ‘secret weapon’ to defy midterm history, protect GOP majorities

EXCLUSIVE — Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters says he has "one goal" this year — to make sure the GOP holds its fragile House majority and narrow control of the Senate in November's midterm elections.

Making Gruters' mission more difficult: the party in power, which is clearly the Republicans right now, traditionally faces political headwinds and usually loses congressional seats in the midterms.

But the RNC chair, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, who the president picked last summer to steer the national party committee, says he has a "secret weapon" in order to "defy history" and pick up seats in the 2026 elections.

"I think the President of the United States is our secret weapon... He's laser focused," Gruters touted in a national digital exclusive sit-down interview with Fox News.

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Pointing to Trump's unprecedented agenda during his first year back in the White House, Gruters argued, "I think it's going to pay huge dividends across the board, whether you're running for governor, Senate, House, or whether you're running for a local seat."

Democrats see it differently, as they spotlight Trump's underwater approval ratings and deep concerns by Americans over continued high prices.

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The GOP is also dealing with a low propensity issue: MAGA voters who don't always go to the polls when Trump's name isn't on the ballot.

But Gruters noted that Trump's made stops in recent weeks in three key midterm election battlegrounds and said that the president's "going to barnstorm the country with our candidates."

The RNC chair also spotlighted the party's formidable fundraising advantage over the rival Democratic National Committee (DNC), noting that "we're raising a ton of money."

But he cautioned: "We got to do everything right. We got to make sure we turn our voters out, and we got to make sure that we have people energized. And there's nobody that can energize our base more than President Trump."

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Gruters, who was interviewed ahead of next week's RNC winter meeting, also argued that "there's been nobody that's been more focused on affordability than President Trump. Look at gas prices, the lowest prices since 2021 look at egg prices, real pocketbook issues that impact everyday Americans, the president is focused on, and he's not done."

Deep concerns over inflation boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories at the ballot box in 2024, as they won back the White House and Senate and keep their House majority.

But Democrats say their decisive victories in November's 2025 elections, and their overperformances in special elections and other ballot box showdowns last year, were fueled by their laser focus on affordability.

"One year into his second term, Donald Trump has made one thing unmistakably clear: He doesn’t care about everyday Americans — he only cares about himself and his billionaire donors. As working families struggle to afford groceries, utilities, and health care, and worry about finding a job, Trump is busy meddling in foreign countries and palling around with executives, failing to address Americans’ top concerns on the economy," DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer argued in a statement.

And pointing to November's midterm elections, Witmer predicted, "Voters won’t forget Trump’s betrayal come midterms — and Republicans will have to answer for it." 

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But Gruters, who was a certified public accountant (CPA) before taking over the RNC, highlighted the series of tax cuts in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," Trump's signature domestic policy achievement so far during his second term.

"I will tell you that people are very excited about filing their taxes this year. This should be some of the biggest refunds that anybody has gotten," he said.

The cost of living has been a key issue at the ballot box the past couple of years. And an overwhelming majority questioned in a Fox News national poll conducted last month expressed concern about high prices.

Gruters, promoting Trump's agenda, told Fox News Digital that from "an affordability standpoint, I think we win hands down based on the policies this president has pushed."

Democrats disagree.

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Gruters' rival, DNC Chair Ken Martin, put it bluntly last month at the national party's winter meeting.

"S*** is too expensive," Martin emphasized.