WASHINGTON — Anxiety is mounting inside the Trump administration and the Republican Party with the U.S. midterm elections just over two months away. A string of senior White House officials has resigned in recent weeks, and reports have surfaced that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is weighing a 2028 presidential bid, adding to the unsettled mood. Warning lights are flashing over the midterms amid a prolonged war with Iran and high inflation, yet complaints have reached the press from within the administration that President Donald Trump is preoccupied solely with cementing his legacy.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported, citing multiple sources, that unlike Republicans anxious about defeat ahead of the midterms, Trump is concentrating on projects that will stand as personal achievements, drawing concern within the party. He is focused on building a White House ballroom and a triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., and is devoting attention to limited-edition passports, national park entry passes and $1 commemorative coins bearing his name and likeness, the report said.
One senior administration official told the Journal that Trump has entered "legacy mode." Having watched after his first term how quickly his policies could be reversed by a successor, he is said to be intent on leaving a legacy that is difficult to erase.
Discontent within the Republican Party is also growing. The clearest example is the new tariff fight with Canada, launched just over 60 days before the midterms. Canada said it would impose retaliatory tariffs starting Sept. 8 on seafood, dairy products, motorcycles, washing machines and processed cheese — items produced mainly in U.S. midterm battleground states. The move leaves Republican candidates running in those districts with little recourse. Trump's reluctance to release campaign funds is another grievance. MAGA Inc., a super PAC backed by Trump supporters, has raised more than $400 million (550 billion won) but has not deployed it on a large scale.
Against this backdrop, close aides within the administration are leaving one after another even before the midterms are held, contributing to the unsettled atmosphere. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson, legal counsel David Warrington and deputy national security adviser Andy Baker have left the White House or are expected to resign. NBC News reported, citing multiple sources, that Hegseth is considering a run in the next presidential election. Hegseth denied the report, calling it "100% false."
As a result, some observers say Trump could lose both chambers in the midterms despite holding a fixed base of about 30% centered on the "Make America Great Again" movement. According to Polymarket, as of the 29th the probability that Democrats retake the House stood at 89%, with the Senate at 51%. On the betting site Kalshi, the chance of Democrats sweeping both chambers was 47%, ahead of the 38.9% probability assigned to a split outcome in which Republicans hold the Senate and Democrats take the House.
