Republican senator warns loss of working-class base could doom GOP before midterms

In a interview, Senator Bernie Moreno, a prominent Trump supporter, warned that the Republican Party faces existential risk if it loses the support of white, working-class voters without college degrees. He credited Donald Trump’s 2016 win with reviving the GOP after Democrats abandoned this demographic, and said the party would be “dead” without that base. Moreno noted that economic issues dominate the midterm agenda, with polls indicating high voter concern and disapproval of Trump’s economic policies and the ongoing war with Iran.

He claimed many working-class Americans resent rising gas prices and fear bankruptcy, but he argued the price hikes are temporary and tied to the conflict. Democrats, he said, are also recognizing a need to reconnect with working-class voters, as evidenced by a memo from Senator Chris Murphy urging a shift toward economic populism. The senator’s comments underscore the political stakes of the upcoming elections.