Joe Gruters, the chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), expressed confidence that his party will retain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate after the November midterm elections, even though Republicans face a close race for their slim majorities in Congress.

During an interview on Sunday with Blake Burman on NewsNation's "The Hill Sunday," Gruters said that Republicans have a chance to expand their margin in the House and maintain the dominance they currently exercise in both legislative chambers. "In short, check out the Cook Political Report. We're starting with 212 likely seats. There are 18 undecided seats. We need six. I bet we'll win 10," Gruters said, referring to the House of Representatives.

The Republican leader added: “I think we will maintain the majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.”

Gruters said he felt “very optimistic” about the electoral result and attributed part of his expectations to the discontent that, according to him, exists among voters with the proposals of progressive sectors of the Democratic Party.

Republicans seek to defend their slim majorities

The confidence expressed by the RNC president contrasts with the competitive scenario that Republicans face, particularly in the House of Representatives, where their room for maneuver is limited.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) recently announced that it would add 12 districts controlled by Republicans or considered favorable to that party to its list of electoral targets.

Democrats hope to take advantage of unrest over housing costs, inflation and other economic problems to try to regain control of the House. During the interview, Gruters also noted that part of the Republican base is “angry” that Congress has not passed the so-called SAVE Act, a priority supported by President Donald Trump that seeks to establish citizenship-related requirements for voter registration and voter identification.

“When we come back in November, we will have the votes to pass it and we can move forward,” said Gruters, who presented the elections as an opportunity for Republicans to consolidate their legislative agenda.

The leader was also questioned about Republican Representative Max Miller of Ohio, who is facing criticism related to accusations of domestic violence made in the context of his divorce. Gruters avoided going into details about the case and noted that the party will endorse its nominated candidates.

Trump's economy becomes one of the main challenges

The economy represents one of the main challenges for Republicans heading into the November elections. During the same interview, Burman questioned Gruters about several economic promises made by Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Among them were quickly reducing inflation, lowering energy prices and getting gasoline to levels close to $2 per gallon.

Gruters responded by blaming the administration of former President Joe Biden for part of the prices that consumers still face and assured that the measures promoted by Trump require time to produce results.

“These are, without a doubt, Biden's prices,” Gruters said, before highlighting the investments announced during the Trump administration. However, economic performance could become a determining factor for voters. An AP-NORC poll cited in the program indicated that only 32% of Americans approved of Trump's economic management.

With the midterm elections approaching, Republicans will have to convince voters that their policies can improve the cost of living, while Democrats try to capitalize on economic discontent to regain ground in Washington.

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