MEHEK COOKE: Trump’s record is the GOP’s best weapon in the midterms

From campaign speeches and television appearances to debates, Democrats have made their entire midterm strategy painfully clear: Repeat President Donald Trump’s name and blame him for everything. Since September 1, Democrats have spent more than $163 million on television advertisements mentioning Trump. They are betting that relentless attacks on President Trump will distract voters from their failure to offer solutions.

Republicans’ winning strategy is to go all in on President Trump’s record and his blueprint for public safety, border security, affordability and government accountability. A new Fox News Poll found that 72% of voters said one reason for their congressional vote would be to express either support or opposition to President Trump. Republican candidates should lean in because voters have already placed Trump at the center of the election.

Republicans have a clear roadmap to victory based on the numbers. Voters trust the GOP over Democrats by 10 points on crime, eight points on border security and three points on immigration. These issues powered President Trump’s 2024 victory and are now backed by measurable results: a secure border, stronger law enforcement and safer communities. His broader record also includes an aggressive crackdown on government fraud.

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Democrats may currently lead the generic ballot, but Republicans can close the gap by making the election about Trump’s winning record. That case begins at the border, where Trump has achieved one of the biggest policy victories in modern American history. New DHS data show that Border Patrol recorded fewer than 99,000 southwest border apprehensions in fiscal year 2026, a 95% decline from the annual average of more than 1.8 million under former President Biden. It was also the first fiscal year in history with zero Border Patrol releases.

Democrats insisted that sweeping border legislation, more money and another Washington compromise were necessary to enforce the law, secure the border and protect American citizens. On day one, Trump used existing legal authority, restored consequences for those who entered the country illegally and proved that much of the crisis resulted from policy choices, not a lack of presidential authority. The loss of American lives, a deadly fentanyl crisis and federal failures that left vulnerable migrant children exposed to trafficking and exploitation were a direct result of political choices made by the Biden administration.

President Trump is securing America on two fronts: protecting families through immigration enforcement and protecting taxpayer dollars through his crackdown on fraud. The federal government loses an estimated $233 billion to $521 billion annually to fraud, and Trump is confronting that theft with his anti-fraud task force. The Trump administration also canceled approximately 315,000 confirmed unauthorized Obamacare enrollments covering more than 760,000 people, and those cancellations are expected to save approximately $2.2 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies.

The difference between Republicans and Democrats is clear. President Trump believes government must protect law-abiding Americans, while Democrats repeatedly defend systems that protect criminals, fraudsters and illegal immigrants from consequences. Trump’s progress is undeniable, but voters still feel the cost of groceries, gas and health care. The same poll found that 60% consider the cost of living their top economic concern.

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To address voters’ concerns, Republicans should explain that affordability involves more than what families pay at the grocery store or doctor’s office. It also includes the costs of failed border enforcement, what Washington takes from their paychecks and whether government protects that money.

The immigration surge that began under Biden in 2021 imposed costs on state and local governments, with the largest expenses falling on schools, shelters and border security, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The Federal Reserve has also acknowledged that immigration can increase rent growth in the short term when housing demand grows faster than supply. When Democrats failed to control illegal entry, local taxpayers and families searching for affordable housing faced the consequences.

TRUMP IS FIGHTING OBAMACARE FRAUD. DEMOCRATS ARE DEFENDING THE NUMBERS

Fraud follows the same pattern. When it goes unchecked, taxpayers finance improper payments while eligible Americans and legitimate programs compete for what remains. Every dollar Trump stops from reaching a fraudster is one taxpayers do not have to replace through higher taxes or additional borrowing. President Trump’s record makes the connection clear: Affordability begins with enforcing the law and protecting the money families already earned.

While Democrats burn time and resources making the midterms a referendum on President Trump, Republicans must double down on his accomplishments and show how America is safer and government is more accountable than it was two years ago. They must also remind voters what Democratic control could bring: impeachment hearings, targeted investigations and two more years of partisan warfare. Do Americans really want Congress focused on investigating the president instead of lowering costs?

Democrats made the midterms about stopping Trump. Republicans must make them about protecting what he delivered.