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"Trump Blames Aides for Bleak Midterm Outlook, Prompting White House Turmoil"

Jeong Gyeong-yun

Published : Oct 18, 2026 3:14 PM


▲ U.S. President Donald Trump

Foreign media reports indicate that as the prospects of defeat for the Republican Party grow dimmer ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, U.S. President Donald Trump is shifting the blame for poor campaign strategies onto his aides and political strategists.

Reuters reported that President Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with campaign fund execution, redistricting, and candidate selection, sparking a blame game inside the White House.

The conflict surfaced mainly around James Blair, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff who leads MAGA, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

President Trump took issue with Blair's management of campaign funds, while some White House officials and confidants raised questions about Chief of Staff Wiles' management and oversight of the campaign organization.

President Trump is reportedly questioning why MAGA has spent 200 million dollars on the campaign so far without improving Republican approval ratings in key battleground states.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with Blair visiting Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority autonomous entity in Bosnia, earlier this month to provide consulting to the local government.

Amid this situation, aides have also been seen shifting blame onto one another.

One source said that "friendly fire is taking place with people shooting at each other," adding that Chief of Staff Wiles shifted the blame to Blair, while Blair blamed the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.

However, regarding Chief of Staff Wiles, who recently faced speculation over a potential replacement, President Trump drew a line, stating, "Susie is going to be here for a long time."

White House Spokesperson Davis Ingle denied the sources' claims regarding internal strife, criticizing them as "armchair experts spreading baseless speculation," according to Reuters.

President Trump's presidential approval ratings recently dropped to their lowest level of his current term amid high inflation and dissatisfaction over the war in Iran.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)