President Trump outlined his approach to the 2026 midterms in a Thursday interview with One America News Network, emphasizing personal security as a key concern following recent threats.
Responding to a question about campaigning for Republican candidates, Trump stated, “I have big plans, I want to survive,” Trump chuckled.
“So you look at what’s going on, it’s crazy. You know, the rhetoric that these crazy Democrats are using is very dangerous. They’ve made politics very dangerous,” he went on.
“And we’ll be, we’ll be, you’re going to be very happy with the job we’re going to do,” he said of his 2026 agenda.
The comments follow two assassination attempts on Trump during his 2024 presidential run, which heightened scrutiny on political discourse and security protocols.
Echoes of 2024 Assassination Bids Shape Campaign Outlook
The first incident occurred at a July 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed Trump’s ear from gunfire by 22-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, positioned on a nearby rooftop. The shot came within inches of a fatal strike, and Trump appeared publicly with a bandaged ear in the days that followed.
Trump has described the event as profoundly affecting, often citing Corey Comperatore, a firefighter and father k*lled while protecting his family from stray bullets at the rally.
Investigators have yet to pinpoint Crooks’ motive; the shooter was neutralized at the scene. Records show Crooks donated to ActBlue in 2021, coinciding with President Joe Biden’s inauguration, though he was a registered Republican who voted once in 2022.
The second attempt unfolded two months later, when 59-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh was apprehended after aiming a rifle toward Trump’s Palm Beach golf course during a round nearby. Routh, unaffiliated with any party at the time, had previously supported Trump in 2016 before expressing disillusionment.
“I am unclear how we allowed ourselves to fall into just a two-party system,” Routh wrote in a letter to Politico. “But it infuriates me. My entire life has been plagued by D’s and R’s. It seems not long ago there was a push for the libertarian party and now a green party and maybe Truth party. But for some reason our leaders have not allowed any other party [to] be recognized in any race.”
Trump’s survival reference also follows the September 2025 k*lling of Turning Point USA leader Charlie Kirk, shot in the neck during a Utah campus debate. The assailant reportedly cited Kirk’s “hate speech” in a confession to their transgender partner, sending ripples through conservative circles and prompting renewed calls for enhanced protection.
Fundraising Momentum and Historical Midterm Hurdles
Beyond security, Trump has signaled robust backing for GOP contenders in pivotal races nationwide, leveraging post-election momentum to build resources.
He began fundraising immediately after defeating Kamala Harris in 2024, amassing over $1 billion through various efforts. In a February address to governors, Trump noted, “So we’ve got that money, and I got to spend it somewhere … if I can’t spend it on me, I guess that means I’m going to be spending it on some of my friends, right?”
During the OAN discussion, however, Trump voiced caution about midterm dynamics, observing, “the one thing that I worry about is that, if you look over many, many years, I don’t have the numbers, but the person that wins the presidency always seems to lose the midterms.”
