A House Republican from one of America's reddest states privately conceded that President Donald Trump's unpopularity and executive actions were damaging the party and putting even safe Republican seats like hers at risk in the upcoming midterms, according to audio obtained by The Bulwark.

"The challenge that we have is that we have to get over the narrative that 'I don't like this guy, so I'm going to vote for the Democrat,'" said Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) in the recording. "Because I'm telling you right now, I'm hearing it already."

"And what happens is that'll impact me because . . . two things will either happen," Bice continued. "They're going to vote for the Democrat and they may split [the] ticket and vote for me and a few others, or — this is my bigger fear right now — people don't go vote."

The concern is notable because the president's party has historically lost House seats in midterm elections — a pattern that has held in most postwar midterms — and incumbents in districts with a partisan tilt, such as Bice's, typically depend on strong base turnout to offset it.

The Bulwark reports that Bice made the remarks at a gathering of Republican students at Oklahoma State University on Thursday evening. According to the outlet, the audio offered rare and candid insight "into the gloom" some elected Republicans feel about the approaching midterms.

Bice also recounted a recent conversation with a Republican executive who described the president as draining.

"I was at a board meeting yesterday with a group, and one of the execs said to me, 'I'm a Republican. I've been a Republican for a long time, but I have Trump fatigue.' It's a fair statement, you know?" Bice told the students.

The Bulwark characterizes Bice as "an unabashed Trump ally" who has touted her support from the president and appears alongside him at Oval Office events, including in coverage from the Washington Reporter.

A spokesman for Bice moved quickly to clarify her comments in follow-up interviews, reflecting how politically sensitive such candid assessments are for Republicans aligned with the president.

"She was relaying a comment made by someone else and discussing the importance of Republicans turning out and voting for the entire ticket," said campaign spokesman Wesley Harkins. "Congresswoman Bice strongly supports President Trump and his work to secure the border, rebuild our economy, strengthen our military, and put America First. She is proud to have his endorsement and looks forward to continuing to fight with the president to defeat the Democrat socialists. Any suggestion otherwise takes her comments out of context."

Nevertheless, The Bulwark reports that Bice expressed concern about what she described as "significantly lower" Republican turnout in the state's June primary, saying: "there's a fear that people have sort of checked out, and I think that's probably true in a lot of cases."

"Republican turnout in Oklahoma's June congressional primaries was down compared to the 2018 primaries," writes Bulwark reporter Joe Perticone. "Bice's district is considered solidly Republican, but not overwhelmingly so. It has an R+9 rating by the Cook Report, meaning the district has performed about nine percentage points more Republican than the nation as a whole in recent presidential elections — a comfortable margin, but one that soft GOP turnout or ticket-splitting could narrow. Bice herself noted in the talk with the OSU Republicans that the urban areas within her district make it potentially more favorable to Democrats.", How the turnout dynamics Bice described develop between now and the midterms — and whether other Republicans voice similar concerns publicly or privately — will be a key factor to watch in the race for control of the House.