×
Entertainment

Inside team Trump's 'ill-prepared' midterm strategy and missed red flags before blue tsunami.. as aides scrambled and president focused on ballroom

Inside team Trump's 'ill-prepared' midterm strategy and missed red flags before blue tsunami.. as aides scrambled and president focused on ballroom

Donald Trump's inner circle expressed frustration with the President heading into the midterms as voters grew wary of the war in Iran and he fixated on the ballroom, a bombshell new report says. 

The Republican Party is reeling after an historic blue wave swept the United States on Tuesday, with the Democrats taking both the House and Senate by sizable margins.

The blame game has begun, with Trump casting responsibility on the candidates themselves.

But a New York Times report claims members of Trump's midterm strategy team were frustrated, resorting to dark humor as they joked about cyanide, funeral arrangements, prison food and presidential pardons during a private video call just days before the election.

The president’s chief pollster, Tony Fabrizio, asked: 'Do you want the white pill first or the black pill first?’

'Maybe we could get asylum in Israel.'

The GOP claimed Trump waited far too long to sign off on spending from his $400million war chest.

The funds – which Trump called 'my money' and came from continued fundraising from after the 2024 election – were something Senate strategists couldn't get him to sign off on as late as August.  

One said they were 'shocked at how ill-prepared they were' and when Trump finally let that money go, the GOP was forced to pay significantly higher rates than Democrats who had purchased ads earlier. 

An expert claimed that because Left-leaning ad buys had been made in advance, Trump's super PAC had to spend four times as much as top Democrat super PACs and got 70 percent fewer ads on the air for that money in Alaska alone.

The Trump super PAC had to pay $30,000 for a spot that aired during the evening news that Democrats, who reserved the ad time much earlier, paid just $2,700 for.  

Members of Donald Trump's inner circle expressed frustration with the President's focus heading into the midterms, candidate selection and poorly spent campaign funds

James Blair, the man tasked with running the President's midterm strategy, was also behind the President's ill-fated redistricting push

Advisers heard Trump switch wildly in terms of his own interest in the race. On some days, he would emphasize doing 'anything' to win the midterms.

However, on others, Trump seemed more pleased with how much more popular he was than the candidates he'd hand chosen.  

'It says something very nice about me that they just can't win without me,' he told some aides.

Candidate selection was another aspect of the midterm strategy questioned by Trump's team. 

Michael Whatley of North Carolina, Darline Graham of South Carolina and especially Ken Paxton in Texas were seen as brutal choices. 

'I have seen the enemy and it is us,' said James Blair, the man tasked with running the President's midterm strategy.

'In many places,' added Tony Fabrizio, the president’s chief pollster.

All throughout 2026, Trump pushed policies that insiders saw as potentially throwing the elections to Democrats. 

Tony Fabrizio, the President's top pollster, saw red flags regarding the Iran War in focus groups he conducted

Candidate selection was another aspect of the midterm strategy questioned by Trump's team. Michael Whatley of North Carolina, Darline Graham of South Carolina and especially Ken Paxton (above) in Texas were seen as brutal choices

One noted that the Iran War was a complete misstep at multiple levels. Fabrizio did polling on the Iran war that was largely ignored by the president. 

JD Vance negotiated a ceasefire in June and polling showed the pause in fighting was favored by 41 points. In addition, 67 percent saw it as potentially lowering gas prices.

However, the truce was short lived and the Iran War remains ongoing into its ninth month. Hawkish members of the GOP like Ted Cruz were blamed for keeping Trump interested in the strikes. 

In focus groups run by Fabrizio, voters said Trump broke a promise to avoid foreign wars. They also said they didn't understand why the US was fighting in Iran. 

Members of Trump's powerful MAGA base told pollsters two things Trump could do to get them back to voting: ending the war and getting inflation under control.  

In addition, key members of Trump's staff attempted to get him to moderate on immigration, particularly after the ICE shootings in Minnesota earlier in the year. 

The battle was largely fought between Chief of Staff 'Ice Queen' Susie Wiles and Stephen Miller, one of the architects of Trump's immigration strategy. 

Senior strategists saw the Renee Good and Alex Pretti shootings turn immigration from a strong issue for Trump to a weakness. 

Fabrizio offered Trump an offramp in June when JD Vance (pictured) negotiated a ceasefire, which his polling showed was favored by 41 points with voters who knew about and 67 percent saw it as potentially lowering gas prices

Key members of Trump's staff attempted to get him to moderate on immigration, particularly after the ICE shootings in Minnesota earlier in the year. The battle was largely fought over months between Chief of Staff 'ice queen' Susie Wiles (pictured) and Stephen Miller

The President allegedly asked one advisor: 'If we never went into Iran, what do you think would happen in the midterms?' 

Key Trump allies saw his summer of promoting projects to renovate the White House as alienating to voters.

Trump consistently promoted the new White House Ballroom and his attempt to create a public golf course in Washington rather than focusing on key issues.  

The $5,000 'Trump dividend' was announced at Trump's midterm GOP convention without being run by most of the President's inner circle. 

Blair, meanwhile, is accused of being responsible for another midterm misfire: redistricting. 

It was Blair who presented Trump with the plan to get more GOP-friendly districts in red states while he was still working in the White House in 2025. 

When presented with the plan, Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reacted with an expletive: 'You’ve got to be f***ing kidding me.' 

However, Democrats largely avoided the worst of redistricting by either recruiting strong candidates in the redrawn districts or countering it with new maps of their own in California, which landed them five extra seats. 

Join the discussion

Has Trump’s focus on self-promotion and controversial decisions cost the GOP its future?

What's your view?

Trump consistently promoted the new White House Ballroom and his attempt to create a public golf course in Washington rather than focusing on key issues

On a private video call just a week before the election, Blair appeared to have seen defeat coming. 

'I'm getting my affairs in order. I suggest everybody else do the same,' he said, before joking with Fabrizio that they might 'get asylum in Israel' to avoid the Democrat lawfare that was to come. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House for comment on the story.  

Hours after Democrats seized both chambers of Congress in one of the most bruising midterm defeats in modern political history, the President called into Fox News late Tuesday night and did something totally out of character: He praised the opposition.

'Democrats did a good job,' he said. 'They fought hard.'

He told the New York Times he was absolutely willing to accept the result, and said he would rather cut deals with Democrats than spend his last two years in office vetoing their bills.

By Wednesday morning, he was standing at the construction site of his new ballroom, taking questions with the air of a man discussing someone else's problem.

He said, again, that he had not been on the ballot – even though he had asked voters to pretend he was – and that he had no plans to change his Cabinet because the result had nothing to do with them.

But behind the ballroom bravado, Trump was working the phones – and he was looking for a scalp.

After Wiles and even Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been named by GOP operatives hungry for a scapegoat, it seemed Trump – after just a few hours of sleep – had settled on a different name.

Canvassing a handful of close advisers, he asked each of them whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should keep his job, a White House insider familiar with the President's phone calls told the Daily Mail, with two other insiders confirming the account. 

The Vice President did not wait, blaming the election results squarely on the Iran war in a statement on Wednesday morning that stopped just short of also blaming the President.

Vance wrote in part: 'The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night.'

Hegseth has not publicly commented since the midterm results. 

As of early Thursday morning, the Democrats have clinched 240 seats in the House of Representatives and 54 Senate seats.

That's more than enough for majorities in both houses and more are expected to be called for the Dems in the coming days, including shock potential Senate wins in Mississippi and Alaska.

§

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to visit Brussels next week as they resume public appearances in the wake of child sexual abuse image allegations facing Meghan's father.

Prince Harry and Meghan will deliver a joint keynote address at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

It is expected to be the first time the pair will have been seen in public since Thomas Markle Sr was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI over a haul of suspected child abuse images.

The brief trip abroad will see Harry and Meghan listen to addresses by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola and MEP Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, the first vice-chairman of the Child Rights Intergroup, before delivering their own speech.

The Sussexes will have between 15 and 20 minutes for their rare dual-address, which they will use to speak about the importance of children's digital safety.

Harry and Meghan will also be shown the memorial exhibition, which remembers children who have lost their lives as a result of the harm they suffered on social media.

The Duke will later join a panel discussion called Beyond Promises: Building A Digital Future That Works For Children to discuss how to protect children online.

Prince Harry and Mehgan arrive for a visit to Himmah Hub in Nottingham on October 15

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has said videos of alleged child sexual abuse and exploitation were among files found in four storage boxes that allegedly belonged to Mr Markle Sr, after he was reported by his son Thomas Markle Jr last month.

Major General Wilson Asueta of the PNP said it had yet to be confirmed who owned the devices, which included nine mobile phones, three memory cards, five hard drives and a camera.

The 82-year-old was reported to police in the Philippines and the FBI last month by Mr Markle Jr, who handed over a haul of alleged child abuse images he said he found in his father's belongings in Cebu City.

A second hoard was discovered last Friday in a storage unit Thomas Markle Sr is said to have rented near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico, during a raid by Mexican police.

Reports have since claimed Mr Markle Sr was moved into a care home for dementia patients in Florida, described as a specialist 'memory care' facility.

It has raised concerns the FBI may never be able to interview Meghan's estranged father because of the legal barriers over interrogating suspects with cognitive issues in care homes.

Meghan was left 'deeply distressed' at the allegations and revealed she was sent a letter via the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection seven years ago which made 'troubling and disturbing allegations' about her father, but that she was given assurances these were being investigated.

Harry and Meghan are set to be seen in public for the first time since her father Thomas Markle was reported to police over a haul of alleged child sexual abuse images

The Metropolitan Police has admitted it never shared the details with other law enforcement agencies, with the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, now investigating the force's conduct.

The Duchess had wanted to 'speak out' immediately after reading the letter but police advised her against this, sources said.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since the run-up to her 2018 wedding when he was caught staging paparazzi photographs and then had a heart attack, meaning the King, then-the Prince of Wales, stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle.

When former TV lighting director Mr Markle Sr had his leg amputated in the Philippines last year, he made pleas for the duchess to contact him, saying he did not want to die while they were still estranged.

A spokesperson for the duchess confirmed at the time she had 'reached out to her father'.

Last week, it emerged Meghan wrote in this final letter that she knew he was an abuser and that he would never see his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Mr Markle Sr, who returned to the US in May, has admitted to paying for sex in the Philippines but denied ever possessing child abuse imagery.

READ MORE: Harry and Meghan lose another key member of staff as Archewell's head of factual programmes steps down after more than five years

§

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress.

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper East Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News.

Although Lively was reportedly joined by friends, her husband Ryan Reynolds, 50, didn't appear by her side.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Lively's representative for comment but hasn't yet heard back. 

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty.

Blake Lively looked as if she had some new pep in her step when she was spotted out in New York City on Tuesday night in a stunning little black dress

The 39-year-old Gossip Girl star was spotted out in Manhattan's Upper West Side for an event celebrating the launch of jeweler Brent Neale's new holiday collection, according to E! News

Lively – who recently revealed her over-the-top beauty regimen – channeled classic glamour in her skimpy black dress, which was decorated with glittering sequins

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes.

The It Ends with Us star, who is stepping out in the wake of her bruising legal drama with her former costar and director Justin Baldoni, wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders.

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag, and she added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings.

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig.

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of the beauty regimen she uses to look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life' last week.

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty.'

She appeared to be wearing headgear with red-light therapy over her hair, in addition to a sheet mask with extra pieces she had pasted to her bare face. 

The Gossip Girl alumna was also bundled up in a brown fleece hoodie while seemingly winding down for the night with her beauty routine.

The off-the-shoulder minidress featured a playful black bow that covered her cleavage for a touch of modesty

Lively's short skirt showcased her toned legs, which culminated in clear Louboutins that strapped around her ankles and featured black-tipped toes

The It Ends with Us star wore her long blond hair in dramatic waves cascading down her shoulders

She completed her glamorous ensemble with a simple black leather hobo handbag

Lively added some extra sparkle with dangling earrings and multiple enormous sparkling rings

Lively looked as if she was on top of the world as she beamed for photographers outside the shindig

The outing comes after Lively revealed the secrets of her beauty regimen last week

She joked that her go-to products make her look as if she's in the 'first trimester of life'

The actress took to her Instagram Story to share a candid clip of the nighttime routine she uses to maintain her 'natural beauty' 

Lively gave a glimpse into her cozy wind-down routine shortly after the drama involving her film It Ends With Us and her director and costar Justin Baldoni. 

'Natural beauty is effortless,' she quipped at the bottom of her post, which pictured her taking a deep breath while the mask covered her face.

Lively also drew thought bubbles around her face, and in one, she wrote: 'If I don't look like I'm in the first trimester of life after this much effort I quit.' 

She continued: 'I miss the 2000s when we just used that handsoap with fish characters on it on our face & called it a day.' 

The Gossip Girl star also noted the lights in the background of her room in another thought bubble: 'My kids' star projector that I stole is a vibe tho.'

She set her candid post to the tune of Fergie and Ludacris' 2006 smash hit Glamorous.

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media.

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman. 

The mother of four – who shares James, 11; Inez, ten; Betty, seven; and Olin, three, with her husband Ryan Reynolds – often shares snippets of her hair and beauty routines on social media; above with Reynolds in April 2025 in NYC

In August, she shared a video of herself getting ready in her bathroom before rushing out the door as a busy mother and businesswoman

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees earlier this year; pictured together in It Ends With Us

'The look: no time but need to look cute while ALSO raising children,' the movie star, who was seen using products from her Blake Brown haircare brand, wrote over the clip. 

'Moment of truth: bun out after running around the city,' she continued, before almost running out the door with her pants unbuttoned.

Her post comes after she was in a legal battle with Baldoni, and the former costars settled right before their trial was set to begin. 

Baldoni was ultimately ordered to pay $400,000 of Lively's legal fees. 

Lively previously sued Baldoni and his production company Wayfarer in December 2024. 

Right before their trial was set to begin earlier this year, Lively was awarded just over $400,000 of the $8 million she sought in legal fees from their dispute due to his countersuit. 

In her lawsuit, Lively asserted that she was subjected to sexual harassment as well as retaliation, alleging he orchestrated a smear campaign to harm her reputation after she brought up complaints about his behavior on set.  

In response, Baldoni denied harassment and claimed Lively made complaints to seize creative control of the movie. 

In June 2025, the countersuit was thrown out. In May of this year, just two weeks before the scheduled trial date, the former costars reached their settlement.

They also released a joint statement, writing that they 'remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments.' 

§

Web hosting by Somee.com