Everyone expects the Republicans to lose seats in the midterms. That was the plan. But Victor Davis Hanson says they will lose if they only talk trash.
The polls show a tough road ahead. Donald Trump is polling around 40%. The Democrats are up 5% to 6% in generic polls. History backs them up, too. According to the Daily Signal, the party controlling the White House lost seats in 39 of the preceding 41 midterm elections. The Democrats are ecstatic about this math.
But Hanson sees a different path. He argues that simply attacking the Left is not a strategy. You cannot just trash socialists and hope for a win. The Republicans need a clear plan to win, not just a list of enemies.
Hanson suggests they write a new "Contract With America." This would be a promise of what to do in the White House and Congress over the next two years. It must be specific and bold.
.@VDHanson says that the incumbent party has lost in 39 out of 41 midterms, and Republicans need a clear message.
“It seems to me that it doesn’t work just to trash the socialists… there has to be more than that.”
He suggests a contract with the American people:
•…
— Jackie Chea ⚖️| Agent #13/92 (@Fair_and_Biased) August 20, 2026
First, they must finish the work at the border. Hanson states that the deportation of individuals residing illegally, particularly criminals, will persist. Next, they need to hold the bureaucracy and universities accountable for racial prejudice. This means ending the bias found in DEI programs.
Money matters too. Hanson notes that countries receiving massive U.S. remittances, often sent by people here illegally, will face a tax. He says they have started with 1%, and that number may climb. Record amounts of natural gas and oil are currently being extracted. They plan to keep increasing that output.
The biggest issue is the debt. Hanson says no one has addressed it in the last 30 years. The plan is to put a hold on federal spending. They will look at entitlements and cut back where needed.
This approach also applies to Iran. Hanson notes that about 75% of the recent "war" has been negotiations. The rest has been kinetic action. He compares the current strategy to the "Anaconda Plan" from the Civil War. It was a slow squeeze to cut off trade and weapons.
Iran thinks they can wait out the election. They expect the Democrats to take power and cut funding. But Hanson says Donald Trump holds the cards.