The Republican National Committee says it is optimistic President Trump has convinced his supporters to vote Republican down the ballot for the midterms.
“What we’ve seen in these states where Donald Trump has won rallies, he’s turning out his supporters, and those supporters now become GOP supporters. We’re seeing it,” RNC spokeswoman Cassie Smedile said Tuesday.
Smedile contrasted Republican excitement for this year’s midterms with Democratic ennui in years past.
“Remember when Barack Obama was president, everybody would come out to vote in 2012 and 2008, but when it came to the midterms, they stayed home because they were Barack Obama supporters,” she continued. “Donald Trump is saying, ‘Not so. If you like me, and like my agenda, we’ve got to have good Republican majorities in Congress to push that through.'”
Republicans are projected to lose the House Tuesday night but preserve their razor-thin Senate majority. Democrats must flip 23 House seats and two Senate seats to retake Congress.
Final polls showed Democrats with an 86 percent chance of regaining control of the House and Republicans with an 82 percent chance of keeping the Senate, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Trump has hit the campaign trail for many Senate and House Republicans, holding rallies in Minnesota, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida in the cycle’s home stretch. He stumped heavily for the campaigns of several candidates locked in tight races, such as Florida’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, Ron DeSantis, and Texas senator Ted Cruz.
“It could happen, it could happen,” Trump said of a Democratic victory. “We’re doing very well, and we’re doing really well in the Senate. But, could happen. You know what I say? Don’t worry about it, I’ll just figure it out.”