Senate Republicans are increasingly alarmed that former President Donald Trump’s erratic behavior and controversial rhetoric could jeopardize their chances of regaining the Senate majority. According to GOP aides and strategists, Trump’s campaign troubles and Vice President Kamala Harris’s rising momentum are complicating the GOP’s path to victory.
Harris is gaining ground in traditionally Republican strongholds like Ohio and Florida, and has even surpassed Trump in key battleground states such as Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. This shift is deeply troubling for the GOP’s chances.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a longtime Trump ally, has publicly urged Trump to shift his focus from his provocative antics to policy debates where Republicans have an advantage. “President Trump can win this election. His policies are good for America, and if you have a policy debate for president, he wins. Donald Trump the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election,” Graham warned on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The GOP needs just two additional Senate seats to take control, but their expected victories in states like West Virginia and Montana are in jeopardy as Trump’s poll numbers slide. His poor performance is causing concern among Senate Republicans, who are troubled by Harris’s increasing support among young and minority voters.
Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist and former Senate aide, highlighted the risks posed by Trump’s approach. “Trump’s failure to connect with swing voters and his persistent focus on personal attacks rather than policy debates are putting Senate Republicans in a perilous position,” Bonjean said. “In the last couple of press conferences, he’s started to talk about her policies, but he just can’t help getting the crowd responses by going after her personally. He can’t get away from it. It may get a great reaction from the crowd, but it’s doing nothing for independent voters that are looking for the contrast.”
The anxiety among Senate Republicans is evident. A GOP aide expressed frustration, saying, “There’s a growing sense of dread. In Arizona and Nevada, we’re seeing that things aren’t going as well as we hoped. Trump’s focus on rallying his base rather than reaching out to independents is a serious problem.”
Another Senate Republican, speaking anonymously, voiced their discontent: “Trump’s approach is putting us in a bind. Instead of campaigning on the issues that matter to voters, he’s stuck in a cycle of personal attacks and controversial statements. It’s incredibly damaging for Senate candidates who are trying to run their own races.”
Trump’s continued personal attacks on Harris—questioning her intelligence and racial identity—are alienating independent voters and worsening the GOP’s predicament.
“There’s no question Trump is going through self-immolation. He’s killing himself,” said former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.). “All swing states are won by independent votes, and he’s alienated the independent vote almost every day with some foolish statement that marginalizes him, and as a result the party—and the majority of independents are educated women, and they’re just turned off by the guy and what he says.”
“Downballot Republicans, I think, are very worried,” Gregg continued. “Instead of running your campaign, you’re defending his statements and eccentricities and his marginalization [of Harris]. It’s really bad for a candidate if you can’t run your own campaign. You have to spend all your time defending stupid comments, divisive comments and disruptive comments.”
Internal GOP polls reflect Harris’s growing lead over Trump, even in Ohio. Trump is also struggling to maintain his lead in Florida, where Harris is closing in. As Senate Democrats strengthen their positions in swing states like Nevada and Pennsylvania, the GOP’s path to a Senate majority appears increasingly tenuous.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) admitted the presidential race impacts the Senate battle: “The top of the ticket always affects the downballot races,” he said, reflecting growing Republican concerns about Trump’s faltering campaign.
A Senate Republican candidate from a battleground state, speaking anonymously, expressed exasperation: “We’re constantly on the defensive, trying to manage the fallout from Trump’s latest outburst. It’s draining and distracting from our own campaigns. If Trump doesn’t change course, we’re in real trouble.”
Trump’s current trajectory threatens the GOP’s Senate ambitions. His persistent focus on divisive rhetoric rather than policy issues risks not only his own campaign but also the broader Republican effort to reclaim the Senate.
