Trump privately ready to blame Ryan and McConnell if Republicans lose midterms: report

President Trump is privately ready to blame Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) should Republicans lose the majority in either chamber, according to Politico.

Politico, citing two people familiar with conversations with the president, reported that Trump views 2020 as “the real election” and doesn’t see the midterms as a referendum on himself, even though that is what he is telling crowds at campaign rallies.

{mosads}“These are their elections … and if they screw it up, it’s not my fault,” Politico reported Trump as saying, citing one person with knowledge of these talks. 

Last month in Missouri, Trump told the crowd “get out in 2018, because you’re voting for me.”

Trump told The Associated Press last week that he would not accept blame if the GOP loses seats in the midterms. 

Ryan, who is set to retire at the end of his term, had a rocky relationship with Trump during the 2016 presidential race.

Trump recently praised McConnell for holding the line on the president’s Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh as he faced a contentious hearing process amid sexual misconduct allegations.

Democrats are expected to take the majority in the House and Republicans are predicted to retain control of the Senate, according to FiveThirtyEight.