GOP, White House start playing midterm blame game

The White House and congressional Republicans are blaming one another for a difficult political environment that has bolstered Democrats' chances of winning control of the House, and possibly the Senate.

Republicans on Capitol Hill say President Trump's lack of discipline and penchant for controversy has put them at a disadvantage, while Trump's political team has grown frustrated with the high number of GOP retirements and poor fundraising totals.

"This election is all about Trump. The White House knows it, and to shift blame is a ridiculous notion," said one House Republican chief of staff.

Republicans say strong economic gains should help propel GOP incumbents to victory, but the chaos surrounding Trump has helped negate that advantage.

"We should be talking about the economy, but we're easily distracted," said Rep. Dennis Ross (Fla.), one of several dozen congressional Republicans retiring in early January. "That's essentially the advice that was given two years ago when the Billy Bush incident came out: Everybody better take care of their own district because we're not sure where this is gonna go."

The growing tensions between Capitol Hill and the White House highlight the odd set of circumstances surrounding the November midterms.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/407697-gop-white-house-start-playing-midterm-blame-game?userid=229233