Trump has one recipe for the midterm elections. House Republicans have something else

DORAL, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump insists he has the answer for Republicans worried about losing their majority in Congress this year: building on an already stringent national voter ID law to ban mail-in ballots and restrict transgender rights.

“It will guarantee the midterms,” he told Republicans gathered in the ballroom of his golf course outside Miami on Monday. “If you don’t get it, big problem.”

Less than 24 hours later, House Republican leaders highlighted their priorities. The voting bill, which Trump renamed from the SAVE Act to the SAVE America Act, was not at the top of the list.

Read more: What to know about how the Save America Act could change voting

Representative Lisa McClain of Michigan, chair of the House Republican Conference, spoke about tax cuts for families, energy independence, and Trump’s so-called Baby Boomer Account, calling “real results for real people.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana said his colleagues are working with Trump to “make life more affordable for working families.” Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the House Majority Whip, recounted “win after win” as he declared that “working families are keeping more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.”

As House Republicans wrapped up their annual Ideas Conference on Wednesday, a disconnect with the election year began to emerge.

Only a few seats away from losing their majority, top Republicans are eager to stress the party’s work to cut costs, which is not easy to achieve with just a few votes to spare. Meanwhile, Trump is often focused elsewhere.

The war he started in Iran has disrupted the party’s message on affordability, with GOP leaders here facing repeated questions about the rising cost of gas, which House Speaker Mike Johnson called a “temporary blip.” The voting bill Trump is pushing is rooted in his insistence that he won the 2020 presidential election, claims that were rejected by dozens of courts and his own attorney general at the time.

Read more: A new poll shows that Americans are increasingly concerned about voting

At times, the president dismissed even traditional issues that other Republicans would rather highlight.

“Every time I go out, ‘Save America, sir,'” Trump said at the GOP event. “Save America Act.” “That’s all they talk about. They don’t talk about housing. They don’t talk about anything. That’s what they want to talk about.”

Johnson, who is close to Trump and appeared with him on stage this week, is hardly distancing himself from Trump’s efforts to pass the voting bill. On Tuesday, he denied any disagreement between his colleagues and the White House.

“We’re all on the same page,” Johnson said. “The President and I are in complete agreement.”

A difficult road ahead for Republicans

President Donald Trump speaks with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, during a March 6 roundtable on team sports at the White House. Photography by Nathan Howard/Reuters

But the road ahead is bumpy.

In an attempt to gain influence over lawmakers, including some Republicans, Trump said he would not sign further legislation into law until the voting bill passed. That raises the possibility that Congress might shut down just as lawmakers ask voters to send them back to Washington.

Passing legislation that complies with Trump’s demands will also be difficult. The House has already passed a version of the bill, so the changes Trump seeks will require new measures by the House.

The dynamic is not any easier in the Senate, where Republicans are struggling to pass the measure without Democratic support. That was before Trump asked for additions, saying Republicans should “go for the gold.”

Meanwhile, other high-level business awaits Congress, including reopening the Department of Homeland Security and confirming its new chief.

Johnson suggested Tuesday that there are ways for lawmakers to continue their work amid Trump’s threat not to sign the legislation. The Constitution allows legislation to become law if it is sent to the president but not signed within 10 days, the spokesperson noted.

Johnson aims to shift the focus to the Democrats

Facing difficult political calculations, Johnson is trying to shift the focus to Democrats, especially regarding the closure of the Department of Homeland Security, which has swelled security lines at some airports over the past few days.

“If you missed a wedding or a funeral or are worried about missing your trip for spring break this weekend, the blame lies with Democrats,” he said.

Republicans spent much of this week trying to remind voters what they didn’t like about life before Trump returned to office. There were repeated references to inflation and border crossings under former President Joe Biden.

However, the question that may motivate this year’s election is whether voters are more interested in the shift from Biden to Trump or are more focused on what’s next.

If voters are more future-oriented, this could represent an additional obstacle for the Republican Party.

About a third of Americans cited inflation or personal finances as topics they wanted the government to address this year, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted in December. No concerns were mentioned about voting laws or election security.

Under the blazing Florida sun Tuesday afternoon, a handful of House Republicans came together to prove they are listening and deserve another term in power.

“We are not sitting on our laurels,” said Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas. “We realize there is still a lot to do and we are working on it.”

Associated Press journalist Lynley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.