Nicolai Haugsted
Trump’s political troubles come under scrutiny as a Fox News veteran questions his leadership
Donald Trump has spent recent weeks traveling across the United States in an effort to strengthen Republican support ahead of the congressional midterm elections.
With control of Congress at stake, the president has thrown himself into the campaign, appearing at rallies and attempting to rally voters behind Republican candidates.
But the enthusiasm Trump brings to the campaign trail is not necessarily translating into broader political support.
Fresh polling from Reuters suggests the president is struggling with historically low approval ratings, while Democrats are gaining ground in the national political debate.
Now, one of Fox News’ most experienced political commentators has delivered a remarkably critical assessment of Trump’s campaign efforts.
And his criticism extends well beyond the president’s election strategy.
Fox News analyst questions Trump’s campaign strategy
Brit Hume, the 83-year-old senior political analyst at Fox News, appeared Monday on Special Report with Bret Baier to discuss the political situation just two weeks before Election Day.
Rather than praising Trump’s extensive campaign schedule, Hume questioned whether the president’s appearances were accomplishing anything useful for Republicans.
“The president has been out campaigning vigorously, but I’m not sure it’s making any difference, and what difference it makes, I’m not sure is helping,” Hume said.
His assessment came as new polling showed growing difficulties for the president.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos survey released Monday, Trump’s approval rating had fallen to 31 percent, its lowest level in that polling series.
The same survey showed Democrats holding a 12-point advantage over Republicans on the generic congressional ballot.
Another survey, conducted by The Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos between October 9 and 13, placed Trump’s approval rating at 33 percent.
The figures provided a troubling backdrop to the president’s campaign appearances, although national polling cannot determine the outcome of individual congressional races.
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Trump’s personal attacks draw criticism
Hume also questioned Trump’s habit of mocking political opponents, pointing to his treatment of Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico in Texas.
Trump has repeatedly referred to Talarico as “Tala-freak-o,” a nickname he has defended by describing the Democrat as “a little freaky.”
Talarico, a former teacher and Texas state lawmaker, is running against Republican Ken Paxton for the Senate seat previously held by John Cornyn.
Despite Trump’s support for Paxton, polling has indicated a competitive contest.
Hume acknowledged that Talarico holds political positions that may be controversial among Texas voters.
However, he suggested that Trump’s personal characterization of the Democrat was not particularly convincing.
“Now look, it’s true that James Talarico has endorsed some pretty exotic positions in his years in public life, and that he is not on paper, at least, a very good fit for the state of Texas. However, what he does not seem to be is a freak,” Hume said.
The Fox News analyst continued by describing Talarico’s public presentation.
“You see him, he seems mild-mannered, he seems pleasant, he’s not an unattractive candidate, whether you agree with him or not,” he added.
His remarks suggested that Trump’s attacks could be failing to match the impression voters receive from the Democratic candidate himself.
Putin relationship becomes another problem
Hume’s criticism did not stop at domestic politics.
The veteran commentator also questioned Trump’s recent approach to Russia and Ukraine, particularly his dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“This cuddling up to Vladimir Putin at this moment, and his turning his back seemingly once again on Volodymyr Zelensky, I don’t think that plays well,” Hume said.
His comments followed Trump’s decision to suspend a package of sanctions targeting Russia that Congress had approved the previous month.
The decision attracted criticism from politicians in both parties.
Trump had also agreed to purchase Russian diesel as part of an effort to reduce fuel prices following increases associated with the war involving Iran.
Meanwhile, the president had publicly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Over the weekend, Trump claimed that Zelensky “doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did.”
He subsequently indicated that he would consider peace talks involving Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping without Zelensky participating.
Hume argued that the American public’s views of the two leaders could make Trump’s approach politically difficult.
“The American public isn’t really sold on Zelensky, but it favors him… by some margin,” Hume said.
“They can’t stand Putin. I mean, the polling on Putin is just terrible.”
White House press secretary debacle draws fresh criticism
The discussion also turned to the White House’s recent communications problems following the remarkably brief tenure of press secretary Katie Zacharia.
Zacharia departed on October 16 after spending less than a week in the position, marking the shortest tenure of any US White House press secretary on record.
Her first press briefing attracted widespread criticism, with questions raised about her preparation and performance.
Hume suggested that the administration itself deserved much of the blame for placing her in such a difficult position.
“They sent the poor person out there with no time to prepare, really, only a matter of a day or two, and it didn’t go well,” he said.
“Well, of course it didn’t. It was crazy to send her out like that.”
Zacharia had previously acknowledged her limited preparation time during an appearance with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
“I received briefing materials in the morning,” she explained.
Hume’s criticism therefore extended beyond individual political decisions to the way the White House was managing its own personnel.
Veteran commentator sees little progress
After examining Trump’s campaign appearances, foreign policy decisions and White House staffing problems, Hume offered a broader assessment of the administration’s recent performance.
“So I don’t see this White House and this campaigning by the president as having made much headway so far,” he concluded.
Host Bret Baier subsequently raised the unrest in France, where student protests over school conditions have escalated into widespread disturbances.
Hume acknowledged that similar unrest in the United States could influence the political environment.
He said such developments “might change the political atmosphere” if they occurred on American soil.
However, he expressed doubts about whether events in France would have a meaningful effect on the upcoming congressional elections.
“If it doesn’t spread here… I’m not sure how much of an effect it will have on this election,” Hume said.
His remarks capped an unusually extensive critique of Trump from one of Fox News’ longest-serving political voices.
With Election Day approaching, the president is continuing his effort to mobilize Republican voters across the country.
But Hume’s assessment suggests that the administration’s difficulties cannot necessarily be overcome simply by holding more rallies.
The Fox News veteran’s criticism also comes as Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration with the network’s coverage, making the latest televised assessment another potentially uncomfortable moment in their increasingly strained relationship.
