McIntosh: Midterms a choice between Trump’s ‘great progress’ and ‘socialists back in’

PALM BEACH, Fla. — As Republicans aim to hold their fragile House and Senate majorities in the 2026 midterm elections, they've got an ally in the politically potent and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative group Club for Growth.

Framing the midterms, Club for Growth President David McIntosh emphasized in an exclusive Fox News Digital interview on the sidelines of the group's annual economic conference "what's at stake" in the midterms.

"It's the difference between all the great progress, the jobs, the good economy, turning America around," that McIntosh said President Donald Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill have accomplished over the past year, "versus letting the socialists back in, they'll shut it all down." 

For a quarter-century, the club has been one of the biggest backers of Republican candidates and causes, as it pushes its pro-growth and limited-government conservative agenda.

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McIntosh, in a presentation to major donors to the group, highlighted that the club spent more than $160 million in the GOP primaries and general election during the 2024 election cycle, "and won nearly 80%" of its races.

In 2026, the group aims to raise and spend $175 million in the midterms, and says it's already brought in $65 million from donors.

The club plans to spend $75 million on Senate races, $55 million on House showdowns, $20 million in ballot box battles for governors, and $20 million — mostly already spent — on issue advocacy in support of Trump's tax cuts, school choice efforts and the push for congressional redistricting.

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"I think the House is the most vulnerable," McIntosh said as he pointed to the GOP's fragile 218–214 majority. 

"So we've already started raising money for the general. I've got a House fund, an ambitious goal of $40 million to help our guys win," he added as he spotlighted a fund for vulnerable House Republican incumbents.

As the party in power, Republicans are facing traditional political headwinds which usually result in the loss of congressional seats in the midterms. And Democrats are energized, thanks to a slew of ballot box victories and overperformances in off-year and special elections in the 14 months since Trump returned to the White House, as they stay laser focused on affordability amid persistent inflation.

But the GOP also is dealing with a low propensity midterms issue that it didn't have to worry about before Trump upended the political order: MAGA voters who don't always go to the polls when Trump's name isn't on the ballot.

"We've got to get the folks who voted for President Trump," McIntosh said. "They don't necessarily come out in the midterms. We have to share with them what's at stake." 

"We're going to work with President Trump on that so they know he wants them to vote," he said. "He wants them to come out. He needs them so he can keep going."

McIntosh said the Club will highlight that "Republicans have a plan that will help make things more affordable. It will keep cutting taxes. They will see the benefits."

"But the bigger message is going to be, you can't let the Democrats back in, because they'll shut everything down," he claimed. "It'll be back to the Biden days, high inflation, higher taxes, fewer jobs. That's what's at stake, and our job is to tell the voters, we need you to vote because it makes all the difference."

The economy, and specifically inflation, was a key issue that boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories in 2024. But affordability boosted Democrats at the ballot box in 2025 and so far in 2026. 

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And with oil and gas prices surging since the start of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran a week and a half ago, Republicans face more potential political headaches.

But McIntosh predicted that "by the end of the year, we're going to be back to a robust economy because the Trump tax cuts are going to kick in. People will keep more of their money. There's a huge incentive for companies to build factories back here in America again, and that will kick in. People will say, ‘Yeah, I like the direction we're going. Things are turned around. We can't let the Democrats ruin that.’"

Most Democrats obviously disagree with the political narrative coming from the club.

And the Democratic National Committee has long criticized the group for its "extreme positions on banning abortion and cutting Social Security and Medicare."

While the club is ramping up for the general election showdowns, it's already playing in this year's GOP primaries.

In the battle for the Senate, the club recently made a major endorsement, backing Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, who's involved in an ugly three-way fist fight for the Republican nomination in the race to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in the southeastern swing state.

"We're definitely going to be there in Georgia to help Mike Collins win," McIntosh pledged.

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The club enjoyed a major victory March 3, as the candidate it was backing, Texas state Rep. Steve Toth, toppled high-profile incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL officer, in the GOP primary for a Houston-area congressional seat.

But in this case, the club kept quiet its efforts to support Toth, as it put its funding in an aligned startup PAC.

McIntosh said he "knew if Club for Growth came in guns blazing, then the Washington money would come in to help Crenshaw."

"We don't need the glory. We don't need to take credit for it," McIntosh said. And pointing to Tosh, he added, "He did the job, but we were able to bring the funds in that let the voters know what their choice was."