The Republicans are in hot water ahead of the midterms, and Trump is reportedly blaming his top aides for the mess

With midterm elections approaching, President Donald Trump has privately raised concerns about the Republican approach, according to Reuters, which spoke to people familiar with the discussions. Those accounts say he has questioned choices of candidates, redistricting plans, and the overall spending of campaign resources. The president has directed some of that criticism at senior figures he believes have made significant errors.

James Blair, who leads the MAGA Inc. Super PAC, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles are the two advisers most often mentioned in the accounts. Sources told Reuters that Trump has asked detailed questions about how the $200 million associated with MAGA Inc. has been allocated. One person said the president could decide to limit further spending in the remaining weeks before voters head to the polls.

The same sources described sharp disagreements among the president’s closest allies. They said Blair has faulted the White House for the current difficulties, while Wiles has pointed to Blair over Republican polling that trails expectations. One source summed up the atmosphere as a “circular firing squad.”

Reports describe tensions involving the super PAC and chief of staff

Mediaite points out that Trump has taken a different tone in public when discussing Wiles. After Politico published a story claiming that some of his allies had shared negative assessments of her, the president defended his chief of staff on Truth Social. 

“TOTAL FAKE NEWS Politico doesn’t care about facts, integrity, or honest journalism – it’s why I kicked them out of the White House!” he wrote, referring to his ban on the outlet that a judge has temporarily halted. 

“Susie Wiles is my loyal and longest serving Chief of Staff – there is a reason for that. She has been with me since the beginning, is my trusted advisor, and has my COMPLETE confidence,” he added.

Separate public friction has involved Blair and another adviser, Chris LaCivita. In October, Trump said he would end their roles if conflicts of interest existed. The two men had gone to Republika Srpska, a self-governing region of Bosnia, to consult on local elections. Trump reportedly viewed the trip as a distraction from other priorities.

In a Truth Social post at the time, he referred to the men as “outside consultants” who serve many clients. “I do not have any idea who else they work for but will, on reflection, ask them and, if there’s a conflict, I will terminate them, immediately!” he wrote. The post did not identify any other clients.

Blair addressed the latest reports in a statement to Reuters. “All of this mudslinging is ridiculous, and counterproductive. President Trump and me are focused on helping Republicans win in November. Every other Republican should be doing the same,” he said.

Some candidates are already distancing themselves from Trump despite his promise to stand with them. White House spokesman Davis Ingle also disputed the accounts, describing the sources as “armchair experts peddling their baseless speculation.” The spokesman did not respond to the specific claims about spending levels or polling.