Trump’s Unpopularity Is Dragging Down GOP Ahead of 2026 Midterms, Warns Ex-GOP Strategist

With just six months until the 2026 midterm elections, Republicans are facing a political nightmare: Donald Trump’s extreme unpopularity is threatening to sink their chances of holding the House and possibly even the Senate. Former GOP strategist and Never Trump conservative Rick Wilson laid it out bluntly in a recent video for The Lincoln Project’s “Fast Politics.”

Wilson described Trump as “really unpopular,” going so far as to say that if not for Secret Service protection, people might literally throw rocks at him in the streets. This is not hyperbole but a reflection of the deep disdain many Americans feel for the former president. Polls show Trump trailing on key voter concerns like the economy, inflation, and the rising cost of living — issues that dominate the political landscape.

“The number one issues — affordability, inflation, prices, gas — those things are right at the top of the pile right now,” Wilson said. “And he is now officially a boat anchor around the necks of Republicans running at every level in this country. And they don’t know how to get out of it. They don’t know how to shake themselves away from him, because they’re afraid of him. It’s bad.”

Wilson also pointed to international tensions, such as the Iran war and high gas prices, as compounding Trump’s unpopularity. Even if geopolitical conflicts ease, the economic pain remains fresh in voters’ minds. “Even if the Strait [of Hormuz] opens today, people are still going to be saying, ‘Godd––! Gas was expensive,’” he noted.

This assessment aligns with broader Democratic hopes of flipping the Senate and retaining or expanding their House majority. The GOP’s reliance on Trump as a political figurehead is increasingly a liability rather than an asset. Republican candidates face a brutal dilemma: distance themselves from Trump and risk alienating his base, or embrace him and scare off moderate and independent voters.

Trump’s persistent scandals, authoritarian tendencies, and failed policies continue to haunt the GOP. As Wilson’s warning makes clear, the former president is not just unpopular — he’s a political drag threatening the entire Republican Party’s future in Congress.

For voters concerned about government accountability and democratic integrity, this internal GOP crisis underscores the urgent need to hold Trump and his enablers accountable before the damage spreads further. The 2026 midterms could be a turning point — if Republicans can break free from Trump’s shadow, or if Democrats can capitalize on his sinking fortunes. Either way, the stakes have never been higher.