EXCLUSIVE: Trump Won’t Be on the Ballot in 2026, But Will Play ‘Significant’ Role in Supporting GOP Candidates
Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley says that despite President-elect Trump not being on the ballot in the 2026 midterms, he will play a significant role in supporting GOP candidates. Whatley argues that the party needs to build its state parties, ground game, and election integrity apparatus to take advantage of Trump’s momentum and “America First” movement.
Whatley believes that even though Trump won’t be a candidate, his agenda will be a central focus of the party’s messaging in the 2026 midterms. “Donald Trump will be very active on the campaign trail for Republicans. And his agenda is the agenda that we’re going to be running on,” he predicted.
The RNC chair is confident that the party’s fundraising efforts will continue to be strong, particularly given the party’s new status as the party in power. “We’re pretty excited about where we are in terms of the fundraising that we did throughout the course of this cycle and what we’re going to do going forward,” Whatley said.
Whatley also emphasized the party’s focus on building its ground game, particularly among low propensity voters, and praised its efforts to reach out to communities that the party traditionally has not reached, including Black, Hispanic, Asian American, and young voters.
Looking ahead to 2028, Whatley believes that the RNC will remain neutral in a contested presidential primary and touted the party’s deep bench of talent, including governors, senators, and House members. He argued that the “America First” movement is bigger than Donald Trump and will continue to drive the party’s momentum forward.
