White House aides anticipating Trump all-out ‘rampage’ if Dems victorious in midterms: report
Por Joe Sommerlad — – World RSS Feed
White House aides anticipating Trump all-out ‘rampage’ if Dems victorious in midterms: report
West Wing embroiled in ‘toxic mix of jockeying for power and preemptive finger-pointing’ ahead of widely anticipated election defeat, administration insiders claim
Joe Sommerlad Wednesday 21 October 2026 09:46 BST
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White House staffers are preparing for President Donald Trump to go on a “rampage” and begin firing Cabinet members if the Republicans lose the House of Representatives and Senate in next month’s midterms, according to a report.
CNN cites comments from administration officials, advisers and allies that insiders “have grown increasingly convinced steep GOP losses will trigger major personnel shakeups across the government.”
It adds that the gloomy atmosphere has resulted in a “toxic mix of jockeying for power and preemptive finger-pointing” within the West Wing.
One of the report’s authors, Kristen Holmes, elaborated on the story in conversation with CNN’s Erin Burnett Tuesday evening, commenting: “Inside the White House, the knives are out. There is fear of a rampage by President Trump if they do lose those midterms, particularly both the Senate and the House.”
open image in gallerySpeaking in the Oval Office Tuesday, Trump said of the upcoming elections: “The president always loses, for whatever reason, the midterms.
“If I can get my voters, MAGA Republicans, whatever you want to call [them], if they get out to vote, we’ll win in a landslide. But they have to want to get out to vote, and if you’re not on the ballot, it’s a little harder.”
The CNN report comes amid several weeks of upheaval at the White House following the resignation of U.S. ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle after she was accused of asking a Republican donor to pay off her $100,000 Amex bill and the disastrous five-day tenure of Katie Zacharia as Trump’s new press secretary.
There have also been rumors swirling that the president appointed Zacharia without consulting White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who had attempted to hire CNN pundit Scott Jennings for the role, and that he has fallen out with his political advisers James Blair and Chris LaCivita.
“It’s more brutal than any other situation in modern times in the White House,” another Trump ally told CNN. “You can’t trust anybody here.”
“If we lose both the House and the Senate, there’s really no telling what happens,” said another. “Everyone is fair game.”
open image in galleryAmong those being tipped to be forced out of their posts should the midterms prove as disastrous for the GOP as predicted are Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Another name put forward is Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, who reportedly recently clashed with White House Office of Budget and Management chief Russell Vought over control of his department’s spending.
Spokespeople from the Pentagon and Energy Department told CNN the rumors were untrue while another insider said relations had improved between Bhattacharya and Vought since their disagreement.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle also dismissed the reported internal tensions in a statement that read: “President Trump is laser-focused on maintaining Republican majorities in Congress this November, which is why he is traveling across the country highlighting the historic victories his administration has delivered for the American people.”
The Independent has reached out to the White House for further comment.
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Donald TrumpPete HegsethIranmidterms
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