Some Republicans are continuing to point to President Joe Biden and his economic policies as the primary reason for the Republican Party's underperformance in the recent midterm elections. This narrative persists even as some within the party, including former President Donald Trump, have acknowledged other contributing factors.
Representative Andy Harris (R-Md.) stated on Newsmax that the party is still recovering from "the Biden inflation blitz" and that it will take "years to get over that." He was responding to a question about who he blames most for the GOP's loss of congressional control.
Similarly, Lara Trump, former RNC chair and the president's daughter-in-law, echoed this sentiment on Fox News. She argued that the economy under the current administration will not see immediate improvement and that rebuilding from "the Biden years" will take time. She also contended that the Democrats caused destruction to the country.
However, in a shift from some of his allies, Donald Trump himself downplayed the Biden blame game when speaking with reporters. He agreed with Vice President J.D. Vance's assessment that the "real reason" for the GOP's poor election night was Trump's "unpopular war of choice in Iran." Trump added that he would "have to do it again" if faced with the same decision regarding the war, despite acknowledging it may have temporarily driven up gas prices.
Fox News host Jesse Watters also focused on the economic impact of the Iran war in his monologue. He connected it to the "Bidenomics hangover" and noted that high prices and interest rates were affecting voters, particularly young people. Despite this, a chyron during his segment stated, "TRUMP SOLVED MANY OF BIDEN’S PROBLEMS," as Watters argued the economy was a major hurdle he couldn't overcome.