As President-elect Donald Trump begins his second term, his role in supporting GOP candidates in the 2026 midterm elections will be significant, according to Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Whatley.
Whatley believes that Trump will be a key player in the 2026 election cycle, as he emphasized the importance of holding onto the House and Senate majorities to complete Trump’s term and agenda. He also emphasized the need to continue building the party’s ground game, including building state parties, ground crews, and election integrity apparatus.
Whatley also highlighted the party’s successful efforts in the 2024 election, including defeating Vice President Kamala Harris and flipping control of the Senate. He also noted that voters saw significant shifts towards Trump among demographic groups such as Black, Hispanic, Asian American, and young voters, which he attributed to the RNC’s efforts to reach out to these communities.
As a result, Whatley is confident that the party will be competitive in fundraising in the next election, with a message that emphasizes Trump’s agenda and the importance of completing his term. He also pushed back on criticisms of the party’s ground game efforts, saying that they had focused on low-propensity voters and that their efforts had paid off.
Whatley’s message to donors will be that the party needs to continue to support Trump’s agenda by keeping the House and Senate majorities, and that his role in the 2026 election cycle will be significant.