Republican senators feel that the fierce public reaction to how President Donald Trump is handling the economy and his strict policy on illegal immigrants could lead to a 'Democratic wave' that not only sweeps the Republican majority in the House of Representatives but also threatens their majority in the Senate. The latest alarm bells rang over the weekend when Democratic candidate Taylor Rehmt won a Senate seat from North Texas, where Trump won by 17 points in 2024. This shocking victory, according to Republican senators, should serve as a 'wake-up call' for them before the November elections. One Republican senator who attended the briefing on Tuesday at the National Republican Senate Committee said: 'The concern about the approaching midterms should be very high.' This legislator, who preferred to remain anonymous, described last week's loss in Texas as a 'wake-up call.' He said that 'Republican senators in contested states, like Senator Susan Collins from Maine and retired Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina, have repeatedly warned their colleagues that the party is facing a deteriorating political environment.' He added, regarding discussions within the Republican party about the 'headwinds' facing Republican candidates: 'Senators are saying louder and louder that they are very concerned about the overall election situation and that the situation continues to deteriorate. They are repeating it over and over.' Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, called Rehmt's 14-point victory in Tarrant County, despite his Republican opponent spending a fortune, 'a tough night.' Cruz warned, saying: 'This underscores the need for Republican voters to turn out and vote in November.' Republicans believe they have a good chance of retaining control of the Senate, but they do not rule out the possibility that the 'Democratic wave' could grow so large as to lead Democrats to victory in Republican-leaning states like Ohio, Alaska, and perhaps Iowa. You can feel it when the overall mood of voters changes, and it seems that change is going to happen.' Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, added: 'Republicans need to do more to talk about their efforts to cut taxes and reduce regulations to spur economic growth.' Thune added after Republican senators received a briefing on this year's Senate elections: 'I am not taking any of these elections lightly.' Republicans control a 53-seat majority in the Senate, meaning Democrats need a net gain of four seats to regain control of the Senate. A second Republican senator, who asked not to be identified by The Hill, said: 'Voters across the political spectrum are unhappy with how Trump is handling the economy and inflation, and a growing number of independent voters are upset with the harsh deportation policy his administration is pursuing in Minneapolis.' The legislator said: 'Republicans are right to be concerned about the midterms.'
