Leavitt says Trump is defying midterm headwinds as he barnstorms country

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says President Donald Trump is determined to defy a challenging midterm political landscape as Republicans fight to defend their narrow majorities in the House and Senate.

"The president is defiant, and he always is optimistic," Leavitt said this week in a Fox News Digital interview in her home state of New Hampshire.

The GOP is fighting political history, as the party in power in Washington has traditionally lost seats during midterm election years. Republicans also face a challenging campaign climate fueled by persistent inflation Americans see at the grocery store, high gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and Trump's increasingly negative approval ratings.

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President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport on October 14, 2026 in Bullhead City, Arizona. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Leavitt said Trump "totally understands that history is not on the Republican side right now if you just frankly look at the history books, but that's not stopping him from going out and barnstorming the country. He's been everywhere this week from North Carolina to South Carolina. Be in Michigan again this weekend."

Republicans are also facing a low propensity problem in the midterms - MAGA supporters who don't always vote when Trump isn't on the ballot.

"The president is getting out there and reminding voters what's at stake in this election and why it's so important to get out and vote in the midterms," Leavitt noted. "He's being frank and honest with his voters that 'I know you don't turn out in midterm cycles, but we need you to this time."

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President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, Kan., on Oct. 19, 2026. Trump is traveling to multiple cities campaigning for Republican candidates this week as the Nov. 3 general election approaches. (Getty Images)

Democrats appear energized as Election Day nears.

"The Republicans are running scared!" Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said recently in a social media post. "They are increasingly spending more and more money in the reddest of red areas in an attempt to hold on. We have them on the run - all gas, no brakes."

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Fox News Power Rankings Senate forecast. (Remy Numa/Fox News)

But Leavitt, taking a page from the GOP midterm playbook, argued that "this election is a contrast between, between commonsense Republican conservative candidates who believe in cutting taxes, securing the border, putting American citizens over illegal aliens, and radical extreme liberal crazy candidates, some of the most radical Democrats we've ever seen run in the history of our country."

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And pointing to the GOP's fundraising superiority over Democratic Party groups, Leavitt added, "We have a huge cash advantage across the country. We are making sure voters understand again what's at stake in this election and why it's so important that we win."

Paul Steinhauser covers the national campaign trail from coast to coast for Fox News