Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany on Monday argued that the GOP could “end up winning” the upcoming midterm elections, but only after acknowledging that Republicans are “absolutely” in danger and might lose untold seats to their Democratic challengers.
The MAGA pundit conceded as much on “The Five” after co-host Harold Ford Jr., a former Democratic congressman in Tennessee, warned President Donald Trump is “underwater” on key issues such as health care and the economy.
“Kayleigh, I don’t wanna be surprised or blindsided in November,” said fellow co-host Greg Gutfeld. “Should we be honest now and say, ‘Are we in danger?’”
McEnany replied, “Yeah, we are. If you look at historical trends, absolutely. The party that’s governing wins choices; it tends to be a referendum on that party, and they lose seats. So absolutely, it’s an uphill battle, and we have to be frank about that.”
McEnany appeared taken aback earlier this year when long-term Democratic strategist James Carville shared a similar prediction on her show, “Saturday in America.” She ultimately reverted to that optimism despite conceding the GOP is in trouble.
Mere moments after acknowledging that a midterm election “tends to be a referendum” on the party in power, the former Trump press secretary said, “But here’s where I disagree with Harold. Elections are not referendums; they are choices.”
She continued, “And when you look at polling, when given a choice, Republican, Democrat, this is an NBC poll, Republicans are beating Democrats plus-27 on border security, plus-22 on crime, plus-8 on immigration and it’s even on the economy.”
McEnany was likely citing an NBC News poll conducted between Feb. 27 and March 3 that surveyed 1,000 registered U.S. voters. Published earlier this month, it showed Republicans leading in those issues — but trailing in three substantial others.
The poll showed voters preferred Democrats by 7 points when asked which party they believe would do better at protecting their constitutional rights, by 11 points when asked about protecting democracy and by 20 points when asked about health care.
Voters certainly have reason to feel this way following the chaotic and lethal enforcement of Trump’s immigration agenda and passage of his “big, beautiful bill,” which kicked millions of people off of Medicaid and tightened eligibility for federal food programs.
Trump’s ongoing Iran war has led even some of his biggest supporters to question him.
While McEnany isn’t the only current or former Fox News host to warn of potential disaster in the midterms, she appeared optimistic that the Republican Party could prevail, saying, “So if Republicans can litigate the issues and not the distractions, they end up winning.”
