A new report from WIRED describes an unusually early blame game inside the Trump White House as midterm elections approach. Republican operatives privately say the real cause of expected losses is President Trump himself, who they argue started an Iran war in an election year, driving up prices and turning voters against the GOP. But telling the president that directly is not seen as possible, so aides are searching for a scapegoat.
Their focus has fallen on James Blair, a deputy chief of staff and political strategist who ran Trump's 2024 turnout operation and returned for the midterms. Blair led a plan to redraw congressional districts early in certain states, a gamble expected to yield 10 to 15 House pickups. Instead, forecasters now rate some of those redrawn seats as leaning Democratic, including Florida's 25th district, and race ratings have worsened in Texas. Blair's allies say the criticism is unfair because he could not have anticipated the Iran war or scandals involving Trump officials.
Blair has denied the reporting and says he remains focused on winning in November. The White House spokesperson dismissed the anonymous sources as "self-serving opportunists." Blair is still seen as having Trump's confidence, and he traveled with the president on Air Force One recently. The report notes that if Republicans manage some wins, Blair might be viewed as a savior; otherwise, he may be sacrificed. This is based on a single source, so there are no differing accounts to compare against it. The piece itself suggests much of the scapegoating is preemptive and driven by low expectations.