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By The Washington Post 
14h ago
By Josh Dawsey, Rachael Bade
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump told donors privately last week that it will be “very difficult” for Republicans to maintain control of the Senate in the next election because some of the party’s senators are candidates for whom can not support.
“I think the Senate is really tough. The Senate is very tough,” Trump said at a fundraiser Thursday at the Nashville Marriott, according to an aide. “There are a couple of senators that I really can’t get involved with. I just can’t do it. You will lose your soul if you do. I can’t help some of them. I don’t want to help some of them.” . “
The assistant shared the president’s words on condition of anonymity since the event was a closed-door meeting. It took place before the last presidential debate between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.
The president, in a sentiment not shared by many of his party’s top officials and strategists, said he believes instead that Republicans “are going to take back the House.” And many strategists involved in the Senate races say the party’s chances of holding the camera are undermined by the president’s unscripted and divisive rhetoric and his low poll numbers in key states.
Senate Republicans have known for days that the likelihood of the party losing control of the upper house has risen dramatically, and even Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Set his bid to stay in power as ” 50-50 “on a recent radio. interview. Some strategists say that between Trump’s clumsy response to the pandemic, which has left at least 224,000 Americans dead, his disastrous performance in the first debate, and the rash of coronavirus infections at the White House, the battlefield continues to turn in favor. Democrats, and that Trump hasn’t always been helpful.
Jesse Hunt, a spokesman for the Senate Republican National Committee, rejected the idea that Trump does not support some Senate Republicans.
“The Republican-led Senate and President Trump have had a great partnership for the past four years, highlighted by the fact that the House is poised to confirm a third nominee to Trump’s supreme count in the coming days,” Hunt said. Saturday.
“Nancy Pelosi has turned the House into a liberal nightmare and if Chuck Schumer takes control of the Senate, he will do the same.”
Republicans have a majority of 53 to 47. Democrats must win three seats if Biden wins the presidency to claim control of the Senate.
Initially, the Republicans had divided their map into two levels. Its most vulnerable front-line members are Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Martha McSally of Arizona and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Democrats and Republicans recently cut spending in Colorado, seen as a likely victory for former Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper.
The second line, which Republicans used to refer to as their “firewall,” is that of Senators Joni Ernst in Iowa, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in Georgia, and Steve Daines in Montana.
But even the GOP “firewall” has begun to crumble, with Republicans almost certain they will compete to win the runoff in Georgia in January, for example. Additionally, Republicans suddenly find themselves scrambling to save once-safe seats, including Trump’s top ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who is being greatly outraged by Democratic opponent Jaime Harrison. Graham is still expected to win, according to South Carolina political observers.
GOP donors have mobilized in some places to try to save the Senate, fearful of a Democratic Party controlling the House, Senate and the White House.
“Donors are increasingly alarmed that we may lose the Senate,” said Dan Eberhart, a donor who has donated to a variety of candidates over the years.
With Democrats vastly outnumbering their Republican rulers across the country, it looks like an increasingly tough battle for Republicans. Even a late-breaking scandal involving a Democratic candidate, Cal Cunningham, has not doomed his candidacy; Most North Carolina voters see the seat as the tipping point for Senate control.
Earlier this month, Cunningham acknowledged sending sexually suggestive text messages to a woman who was not his wife. A second report revealing the infidelity of the Iraqi war veteran, who has distinguished himself as a moral leader, has affected his personal favourability ratings.
Trump expressed optimism about Tillis’ chances in North Carolina.
“I think Tillis is coming back to this because his opponent ended up having more adventures than he is allowed to have at one time,” Trump said.
Trump also said he was pleased with Tommy Tuberville’s chances in Alabama against Democratic Senator Doug Jones. Republicans and Democrats hope the Republican will win the seat in the Republican-leaning state.
“We’re taking Alabama. We got rid of Jeff Sessions. Thank goodness. He was the worst. I would have gone for the Democrat instead of him. That wouldn’t have been too good,” Trump said, before switching to his mock presenter voice. of TV. “The president just endorsed a Democrat.”
He never named Tuberville and indicated that he did not know much about him, focusing on his football history. Tuberville has been the head coach of the University of Mississippi, Auburn, Texas Tech, and the University of Cincinnati.
“You have a really good coach, a really great coach actually. Urban Meyer said that not only would he be a good politician, he was a great coach. He’s the only one who beat Urban Meyer twice. That’s pretty good. We should call him next. “
Meyer has also had a long college football career and was the head coach at Ohio State.
Trump said he has been “working, calling and tweeting” for some members. Some senators have increasingly distanced themselves from Trump and his inflammatory rhetoric in recent weeks.
McSally was evasive recently in a debate when asked if she was proud of her support for Trump. Sen. John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, offered a silent critique of Trump’s handling of the pandemic, saying he “let his guard down” and “jumped on his skis” by downplaying the threat of the coronavirus.
The harshest criticism came from Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, who in a call with voters said Trump mistreats women, flirts with white supremacy and secretly mocks evangelicals. In response, Trump lashed out at Sasse.
Not a single Republican in the House of Representatives predicts the party will win seats on November 3. Rather, the Republican House of Representatives conference is bracing for a possible infighting for leadership if they lose seats to Democrats. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, in a recent Politico interview, tried to suggest that it would not be his fault if Pelosi, D-California, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, could expand his majority. Other lawmakers are privately discussing whether anyone should challenge McCarthy for failing to distinguish House Republicans from the top of the list.
At the fundraiser, Trump lamented that he was unable to send federal forces to some of the cities that were ravaged by violence and protests this summer.
“Unless it is a strict emergency, we are not allowed in. We are going to find more and more emergencies,” Trump said.
Trump also criticized the media, Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee that led the Trump impeachment inquiry, and the obsession of some Democrats with discussing Russian disinformation, comments that align closely with what you have said. recently at public rallies.
There were no difficult questions, the assistant said. Trump was lavishly praised by those present for his work on the coronavirus pandemic and his effort to tackle the “medical swamp,” in the words of a guest.
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