Karoline Leavitt, former White House press secretary, has asserted that Democrats employed Donald Trump's campaign playbook to achieve their successes in the recent midterm elections. Leavitt shared her perspective on Fox News, acknowledging the Democratic Party's effectiveness in mobilizing voters while attributing their victory, in part, to strategies pioneered by Trump.
"This is a reality that Republicans have to grapple with, right? President Trump wasn't on the ballot in these midterms, he'll never be at the top of the ticket again," Leavitt stated. She emphasized the need for the Republican Party to find a leader who can connect with and inspire the "forgotten men and women" Trump drew to the party. "We need someone who can really get out, speak to people about their struggles, their challenges, relate to them and offer promise and hope."
Leavitt suggested that Democrats succeeded by making voters feel their lives would improve, a tactic she believes Republicans need to replicate. "You know, I think that's something Democrats did well in this election in the midterms was they obviously inspired people to turn out to vote because they made the people feel like we're going to make your lives better. We need to do that again, the same way, the same fashion President Trump did. It just has to be a new person at the top of the ticket," she said.
Leavitt also commented on the reasons for Republican underperformance, blaming voters for forgetting Trump's "good policy" and succumbing to "the lying media." She noted the cooperative tone struck by some Democrats following the elections, citing James Talarico's expressed desire to work with Trump. However, Leavitt expressed skepticism about broader bipartisan cooperation, pointing to Representative Robert Garcia's "Lawyer up" remark to Trump and his family as an example of what she views as the Democratic Party's focus on "political retribution, obstructionism, impeachment."