Trump questions campaign spending and strategy ahead of midterms

What This is

• Trump has blamed senior aides and political operatives for what he sees as a faltering Republican midterm strategy.
• He has questioned redistricting decisions and candidate choices as Republicans try to hold Congress.
• Trump has pressed aides about MAGA Inc. spending of about $200 million.
• Reports say Trump aides Chris LaCivita and James Blair did paid consulting for Bosnia’s Russia-aligned Republika Srpska government, prompting Susie Wiles to call a crisis meeting amid broader scrutiny of Trump allies.
• Trump dismissed press secretary Katie Zacharia within days amid concerns about her preparation and vetting, while he and the White House denied reports that chief of staff Susie Wiles could also be pushed out.
• Sen. Thom Tillis has criticized White House officials and warned that affordability issues could fuel major Republican losses in the midterms.

Why This Matters

• It shows how much Republican midterm planning is tied to Trump’s personal judgment of staff and advisers.
• Public and private blame-shifting can weaken message discipline and slow decisions about where to spend money and which candidates to back.
• Paid consulting work for a Russia-aligned foreign government raises questions about conflicts of interest and advisers’ competing responsibilities.
• The midterms could reshape scrutiny of the White House agenda and the scope of congressional oversight hearings and investigations.