“This is a referendum on Donald Trump—and he has $400 million sitting in his PAC that he’s not spending on Republican candidates.”

Jim Messina joined Bloomberg’s Balance of Power with Kailey Leinz alongside Republican strategist Marc Short to break down the state of the 2026 midterms. With Trump at 24% approval among independents who will decide these elections, Jim explains why affordability remains the defining issue and why this is shaping up to be a change election where candidates who show up and talk about local issues will outperform those spending time at conventions.