The chairman of the Republican National Senate Committee, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday that he thought Republicans would win in the November midterm elections, but acknowledged that it will be “difficult” to to take back the Senate.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me talk to you about the politics of it all. Republicans had hoped to contain the high inflation we now have, which is at an all-time high, and President Biden’s low approval ratings for a win in November. But the president and the Democrats just had a really good run here. Gas prices have fallen. You’ve been through this huge expense account. This is a lot of big wins for the Democrats. The president just authorized that strike to take out the leader of al-Qaeda. Isn’t it going to be harder for Republicans to get the edge you’re trying to create here?
SCOTT: Well, you know, that sounds good, right? But that’s… those are the talking points of the White House. But let’s think about this, 72% of Americans believe we are on the wrong track. Biden’s numbers are in the tank. And if you look at all the Democrats — all the Democrats running, and they have to — basically they’re a surrogate for Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer. I mean, they have to defend inflation, high gas prices, you know, the Afghan withdrawal, an open border, Critical Race Theory, downgrade the police, that’s what they have to defend, because that’s what the- that’s what-, that’s what Biden is known for, and that’s basically what the Democrats are known for. Now it will be an election year. It will be a difficult year. We have 21 Republicans, only 14 Democrats. The Democrats outnumber us, but we have good candidates. And I believe Joe Biden will be our key here.
BRENNAN: You said it was going to be a difficult year. I want to play for you what Republican leader Mitch McConnell told Fox last week.
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SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL: I think it’s going to be very tight. We have a 50/50 chance, and now we have a 50/50 nation. And I think when the smoke from this Senate race clears, we’re probably still going to have a very, very tight-knit Senate, with either us a little higher or the Democrats a little higher.
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BRENNAN: If things are going so bad, why is it getting so tight for the Republicans?
SCOTT: Well, first of all we have very good candidates. I mean, the Democrats are raising good money. So we have to be able to get our message out, so you know, we have to raise our money. We have to work hard, you know, we’ve had a lot of primaries, so- but I believe we’re going to win, but it’s going to be hard. We have to raise your money, we have to work very hard for candidates, we have to work very hard. Everyone is going to help our candidates, but I am optimistic.
BRENNAN: So that you agree that it’s getting tight that the Republicans have a slight advantage at best.
SCOTT: I’m very optimistic. I would- I- but I’m- I’m realistic you know you need to raise your money. democrats. raise good money. Joe Biden is our key here. And by the way, this bill won’t help Democrats. It’s going to help the Republicans. Raise taxes $700 billion, cut Medicare $280 billion, raise gas taxes, I have 87,000 more IRS agents. Do you know how happy people are that there are more IRS agents? I mean, this isn’t… this isn’t going to be popular across the country.