The top Republican in the U.S. Congress said on Wednesday he was not concerned that economic fallout from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran could overshadow Republican messaging on affordability in the November midterm elections.
House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson told Reuters that Republicans have been consistent on economic issues and would remain so through November, saying world events were beyond lawmakers’ control and must be dealt with as they unfold.
Johnson said he believed the president was aware of the economic risks and would “do the right thing,” but “I don’t think we could have waited on what’s happening in Iran.”
Republican lawmakers had been pressing President Donald Trump for months to spend more time focused on domestic issues and less on foreign policy amid public opinion polling showing dwindling confidence in Trump’s stewardship of the economy.
Political strategists say that the new war with Iran, which has only tepid support among Americans, is a politically risky gamble by Trump.
With the midterm elections eight months away and voters most concerned about healthcare and the cost of living, Republicans are promoting their elimination of taxes on tip income and overtime pay last year as a direct benefit to American families, while pushing forward on legislation aimed at making housing more affordable.
