Tipsheet

The Trump Team Got a Serious Briefing on the 2026 Midterms This Week. Here Are the Details.

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  February 20, 2026 7:00 AM

The 2026 midterm cycle has essentially started as soon as the 2024 election concluded, since this process is continuous. As we move through late February, every effort must be focused on maintaining the GOP’s majorities in both the House and Senate, especially as public frustration with the Trump agenda grows. This week, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, along with key officials and operatives, convened in Washington, DC, for an important 2026 strategy meeting. They received guidance on messaging, tactics, and what Democrats need to secure a significant victory to carry a blue wave into the next Congress. 

They were informed that border security doesn’t have as much resonance, that Facebook remains the primary platform for sharing news with voters, and that the economy will be the decisive factor for Republicans' success in November. This is probably familiar information. The Senate Republican majority is at risk if Democrats gain 50 seats in the House. Mark Halperin had the details on this meeting held on February 17 [emphasis mine]: 

The group was served a chicken and steak buffet. 

The program went for almost two hours, starting at 530pm. 

This was a veteran group, not panicked or shaken. Just focused on the work and the task at hand. 

There were about 75-100 people in the room. 

Many cabinet members were there, including Scott Bessent, Howard Lutnick, RFK, Sean Duffy, along with their most senior aides. 

The meeting was hosted by Susie Wiles, who spoke briefly. 

The pollster and strategist Tony Fabrizio presented with about 25 slides on the data on what voters care about — the demographics, the issues, what messages resonate and what do not. 

The economy will be THE issue in the election, he said. Messages that break through: Banning stock trading for Congress, transparency on health insurance data (including on pricing and claims reimbursement), lowering prescription drug costs, the Trump tax cuts. 

Housing affordability is a huge issue for voters, especially young people. 

Taking credit for closing the border does not resonate much. 

Men, moderates, true independents, and Hispanic voters are the true persuadable voters. 

His message was not pessimistic. 

He made recommendations to spend time on podcasts and social media more than national news interviews. Paid media should go on targeted media, not broadcast or even cable. 

Facebook is still king for voters, then Instagram and TikTok. 

There are currently 36 targeted House races and 7 key Senate races. 

The only way Republicans will lose the Senate majority is if Democrats take 50 House seats. 

Then political czar James Blair spoke and presented the historical data of how rare it is for a president’s party to not lose a lot of seats in a midterm. 

Tennessee 7 special was going to be lost before a huge push for Election Day, from which they have taken lessons about messaging and grassroots. 

Trying to argue about wages being up will not help; voters have to feel it, he said. 

He acknowledged that Donald Trump will do what he wants to do, say what he wants to say, not be data driven. Everyone else has to stay on message and be driven by the data. In effect, two separate but related campaigns. 

They expect Democrats will run in large part on the “Stop Trump” message. 

Trump has already been hosting rallies to tout his agenda. Stay on course, sir. Everyone has a game plan, albeit the president will run his own show.