Washington Examiner Executive Editor Bob Cusack highlighted the difficult uphill battle Republicans will face in November’s midterm elections but said socialists may be making the job easier.
“I do think with the rise of DSA, they’ve got a lot of material,” Cusack said on CNN’s Laura Coates Live on Wednesday.
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The party in power historically performs poorly in midterm elections, and with low approval ratings for President Donald Trump and voters increasingly concerned about the economy, this paints a bad picture for the GOP.
“Republicans are trying to do something that’s very hard, they’re trying to make it a referendum on Democrats,” Cusack said.
Cusack argued, however, that the rise of socialist candidates could give Republicans enough ammunition to protect their majority in November.
The new platform for the Democratic Socialists of America, called “Workers Deserve More,” includes eliminating the U.S. Senate, granting amnesty for all immigrants, defunding the Department of War, and replacing the Electoral College with a national popular vote for president.
“If we lived in a classless society and governed ourselves, we could freely build a world without war or poverty. We could build a world where no one suffers for their race, gender, or religion, and everyone is free, equal, and cared for. Building this world is the guiding star of our movement,” the platform said.
“In a lot of ways, the Democrats are giving Republicans a gift,” Cusack said.
Cusack said voters saw Trump bashing Democrats during his State of the Union address, “where he basically is saying, ‘These Democrats are crazy.‘”
Cusack said people will see a continuation of this Republican strategy against Democrats at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, in September, and said the DSA platform is a valuable source of content.
Cusack pointed out that if Republicans lose the election, Trump could blame Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who has faced pressure from the president to change Senate rules to bypass the filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act.
Thune has said he does not have the votes to pass the bill.
The act would require stronger documentation that people registering to vote prove they are U.S. citizens. Trump has been pushing for the SAVE America Act to pass, even refusing to sign the historic 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act in protest, letting it become law without his signature.
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Thune could be blamed for the Republicans’ loss because of the failure to deliver on one of Trump’s biggest election-related priorities.
“Republicans are going to have a tough election; it’s just a matter of how bad it is. Are they going to lose the House, the Senate, or both?” Cusack said.
