Trump’s Ballroom Obsession Deepens GOP Midterm Woes, Allies Warn of Disaster

The following is a lightly edited transcript of the May 6 episode of the Daily Blast podcast. Listen to it here.

Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR Network. I’m your host, Greg Sargent.

Donald Trump’s allies are privately warning that the GOP is in serious trouble ahead of the midterms. Politico reports that Trump’s obsession with vanity projects, including his ballroom, is diverting attention from the economic message Republicans believe is critical to avoid a devastating loss. So what did Trump do this week? He convinced Republicans to seek $1 billion in taxpayer funds for the ballroom. He also made bizarre, rambling remarks about his support among MAGA voters, as if that alone would determine the midterm outcome.

Trump appears to have no understanding of public service or the presidency as an institution meant to serve the people. Is this delusional detachment becoming a major liability for the GOP?

We’re discussing all this with political scientist Tom Schaller, who recently published a piece for the Public Notice Substack on Trump’s vanity presidency. Tom, welcome back.

Tom Schaller: Great to be back, Greg.

Sargent: Let’s start with something Trump said today about his polling and public support. Listen to this:

Donald Trump (voiceover): I am, according to CNN, 100 percent approval within the Republican Party. That’s almost—that’s better than your record. I’m at 100 percent approval. Do you see the CNN poll? Nobody talks about it. CNN—I think the people that did that poll probably got fired—but within the Republican Party and MAGA, which is basically 100 percent of the party, I think. 100 percent.

Sargent: Tom, the Republican Party is not actually 100 percent MAGA. Many Republicans are non-MAGA, and a significant portion disapprove of Trump’s policies. But more importantly, MAGA support alone won’t be enough for Republicans to survive the midterms. Yet here, Trump seems incapable of processing that reality—he only acknowledges his supporters. Your thoughts?

Schaller: I mean, as the kids say today, he’s delulu. Greg, he has no concept of what’s going on, or worse, he knows exactly what’s happening and is trying to spin it. The more charitable interpretation is that his tutelage under Roy Cohn taught him never to admit defeat, never to say he’s wrong, and always to put a positive spin on everything—even if it means faking the numbers. We know he inflates percentages and manipulates data, like gas prices—lower when he’s in charge, higher when someone else is. But the real issue, beyond his delusional self-belief, is that unlike his first term, he’s no longer surrounded by serious advisors. Instead, he’s completely insulated by yes-women and yes-men who only praise him and