一切都关乎经济。
这是唐纳德·特朗普总统政治核心团队高层传递的信息。当时，他们与特朗普政府内阁成员及其高级助手举行闭门战略会议，商议如何在今年的中期选举中向选民最好地推销总统的施政议程。
据知情人士向福克斯新闻证实，此次会议由白宫办公厅主任苏西·怀尔斯（Susie Wiles）和副办公厅主任詹姆斯·布莱尔（James Blair）主持，布莱尔正主导特朗普的政治策略。
消息人士称，在首席民调专家兼战略家托尼·法布里齐奥（Tony Fabrizio）的幻灯片演示中，传达的信息是，经济将是选民最关心的首要问题，白宫需要突出其在缓解经济可负担性方面的努力。
此次会议召开之际，共和党正致力于捍卫其在11月中期选举中对参议院的控制权以及众议院的微弱多数优势。共和党在中期选举中面临着传统的政治逆风，因为执政党通常会在众议院和参议院中失去席位。
共和党还面临着总统持续走低的支持率，以及一系列调查，包括最新的福克斯新闻民调显示，美国人对经济持悲观态度，称自特朗普重返白宫一年以来，情况并未改善。
与此同时，在特朗普的第二任期内，民主党在非大选年选举和特别选举中取得了一系列投票箱胜利和超预期表现，这得益于他们在持续通胀背景下将焦点高度集中在经济可负担性问题上。
消息人士称，特朗普并未出席此次会议，但他预计将于周四在关键战场州佐治亚州举行政治活动，届时将重点强调经济和政府的施政成就。佐治亚州今年将举行参议院和州长的关键选举。
下周，总统将发表年度国情咨文演讲，届时镜头将更多聚焦于他。
副总统JD·万斯（JD Vance）在周二接受福克斯新闻《The Story》采访时，透露了部分宣传口径。
万斯指向前总统乔·拜登（Joe Biden）的政府，指出：“我们仍在努力走出民主党给我们挖的坑。我认为我们要向美国民众提出的问题是，你是想把政府交还给那些坦白说烧毁了‘房子’，让大多数美国人变得更不富裕、更不安全的人吗？还是你想加倍支持总统的领导？”
周二晚间的会议在国会山俱乐部（Capitol Hill Club）举行，这是一个受政治圈内人士欢迎的私人场所，位于共和党全国委员会总部旁边，距离美国国会大厦只有几个街区。
消息人士称，除了宣传口径，此次会议还聚焦于民调数据和2026年选举地图，特朗普的顶级政治助手向与会者详细介绍了关键中期选举战场州的最新数据。他们还强调内阁官员作为关键代理人参与竞选活动，推销总统的施政议程的重要性。
保罗·施泰因豪泽（Paul Steinhauser）是派驻摇摆州新罕布什尔州的政治记者，他报道全美各地的竞选活动。
Trump’s political brain trust plots economic blitz to counter ballot box risks in midterm elections
It’s all about the economy.
That was the message from top members of President Donald Trump’s political team, as they huddled in a closed-door strategy session with Trump administration cabinet members and their top aides on how best to sell the president’s agenda to voters in this year’s midterm elections.
The meeting, which was confirmed to Fox News by sources familiar with the gathering, was hosted by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, who is steering Trump’s political strategy.
According to sources, the message during a slide presentation by chief pollster and strategist Tony Fabrizio was that the economy will be the top issue on the minds of voters, and that the White House needs to spotlight its efforts on easing affordability.
The meeting was held as the GOP works to defend their control of the Senate and their razor-thin House majority in November’s midterms. Republicans are facing traditional political headwinds in the midterms, when the party in power usually loses House and Senate seats.
Republicans are also dealing with the president’s continued underwater approval ratings, and a slew of surveys, including the latest Fox News polling, that indicates Americans are pessimistic about the economy and say that things have not improved in the year since Trump returned to the White House.
Meanwhile, Democrats have scored a series of ballot box victories and overperformances in off-year elections and special elections during Trump’s second administration, thanks to their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation.
Trump wasn’t at the meeting, according to sources. But he’s expected to spotlight the economy and his administration’s achievements when he holds a political event Thursday in battleground Georgia, which is holding key elections for the Senate and governor this year.
And the president will have an even bigger spotlight next week, when he delivers the annual State of the Union address.
Vice President JD Vance offered a taste of the messaging in an interview Tuesday on Fox News’ “The Story.”
Pointing to former President Joe Biden’s administration, Vance argued, “We’re still digging out of the hole the Democrats put us in. And I think the question we’re going to put to the American people is, do you want to give the government back over to the people who, frankly, burned down the house and made most Americans much less wealthy and much less safe? Or do you want to double down on the president’s leadership.”
The Tuesday evening meeting took place at the Capitol Hill Club, a private venue popular among political insiders that’s located next to the Republican National Committee’s headquarters, a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol.
Besides messaging, sources say the meeting also focused on polling and the 2026 electoral map, with top Trump political aides walking those attending the gathering through new data on key midterm battlegrounds. And they also emphasized the importance of Cabinet officials hitting the trail as key surrogates to sell the president’s agenda.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.