Republicans urged to make Trump's record central to midterm campaigns

Republicans should make President Donald Trump's record the centerpiece of their midterm campaigns, according to a Fox News opinion column by Mehek Cooke, who argues that the strategy gives the party its strongest argument with voters. The piece contends that Democrats have built their midterm message around attacking Trump, a approach the author says leaves them without a clear agenda of their own.

The column cites spending data showing that Democrats have put more than $163 million into television advertisements mentioning Trump since September 1. The author writes that the strategy is designed to keep voters focused on the president rather than on Democratic policy proposals. Cooke points to a new Fox News Poll in which 72% of voters said one reason for their congressional vote would be to express support for or opposition to Trump, which she presents as evidence that voters have already placed the president at the center of the election.

On issues, the column says voters trust Republicans over Democrats by 10 points on crime, eight points on border security and three points on immigration. Cooke argues those issues powered Trump's 2024 victory and are now backed by results, pointing to a secure border and stronger law enforcement. She cites New DHS data showing Border Patrol recorded fewer than 99,000 southwest border apprehensions in fiscal year 2026, a 95% decline from the annual average of more than 1.8 million under former President Joe Biden. The column describes it as the first fiscal year in history with zero Border Patrol releases.

The author also highlights the administration's effort against government fraud. She writes that the federal government loses an estimated $233 billion to $521 billion annually to fraud and that the administration has canceled approximately 315,000 confirmed unauthorized Obamacare enrollments covering more than 760,000 people. Those cancellations, according to the column, are expected to save approximately $2.2 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies.

Cooke acknowledges that voters still feel the cost of groceries, gas and health care. The same Fox News Poll found that 60% of voters consider the cost of living their top economic concern. She advises Republicans to argue that affordability includes the costs of failed border enforcement and what government takes from paychecks. The column cites the Congressional Budget Office on expenses that state and local governments bore from the immigration surge that began in 2021, with the largest costs falling on schools, shelters and border security, and notes that the Federal Reserve has acknowledged immigration can increase rent growth in the short term when housing demand outpaces supply.

The column closes by arguing that Democratic control of Congress would bring impeachment hearings, targeted investigations and two more years of partisan conflict. Cooke asks whether Americans want Congress focused on investigating the president instead of lowering costs, and concludes that Republicans should frame the midterms around protecting what Trump has delivered.

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Connor Quincy

Technology Reporter

Connor Quincy covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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