New reporting by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday revealed that many congressional Republicans are experiencing a pronounced case of "Trump fatigue", as "resentment and worries" about President Donald Trump's leadership grow within the party. The dynamic comes at a moment when the party's narrow majorities in Congress leave it with little margin for defection or depressed turnout in November.

According to the Journal, "While many GOP lawmakers are embracing the president, others have started to sound the alarm publicly and privately that Trump's low approval ratings could drag the party down in November. They say resentment is building as Trump focuses more on legacy construction projects and fights with allies than on helping Republicans keep control of Congress."

"Some of the things he's done, it smells like chaos, it smells destructive," said retiring Rep. Don Bacon (R–NE). Bacon singled out Trump's recent executive order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America," calling it a "silly" own goal by the president and declaring, "Most people think it's dumb." Bacon has urged Republicans in tight races to distance themselves from Trump on unpopular issues such as tariffs. Acknowledging the potential for Trump's wrath, Bacon said he understands why "it's hard to say, 'I disagree and I'm going to vote that way,'" but argued, "You've got to do it." Notably, the most vocal critics cited in the reporting—Bacon and Newhouse—are not seeking reelection, which frees them from facing either Trump-aligned primary challengers or general-election voters this cycle.

Bacon is not alone in voicing such concerns. The Journal reported that "Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) made headlines last week when she was recorded speaking to a group of student Republicans at Oklahoma State University, warning that Republican voters could stay home or even vote for Democrats. According to the Bulwark, which obtained the recording, Bice quoted a business executive who told her that he was a longtime Republican but now has 'Trump fatigue.'"

Retiring Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), who voted to impeach Trump in 2021, said the president "certainly has a strong following, but times are tough." He agreed that voter exhaustion with Trump is a "legitimate concern" for the GOP. "We need people to turn out," Newhouse said. "I can see Republicans not being as motivated as Democrats this year."

Even some Republicans who say they will stand by Trump acknowledge the problem and admit they are not always happy with him. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R–NJ) told the Journal, "I'm not that shallow. If you're my friend and you get in a little bit of trouble, I'm not going to run away from you. I think you can at the same time say, 'Yes, he's done a lot of good and there's a lot of things I'm committed to, but there are some things I absolutely disagree with.'"

Trump loyalists such as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), however, "pointed to Trump as the main reason he remains optimistic about Republicans' midterm chances, and he has touted legislative victories including last year's tax law and funding for securing the border," the Journal reported. According to Johnson, "We've got a strong hands-on president, and his record speaks for itself."

In some respects, Johnson has a point. Trump has placed himself at the center of GOP midterm messaging, saying at a recent rally, "'Pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot." For a long time, Republican candidates running with Trump's endorsement tended to win. That has not been the case lately: over the past several months, Republicans running under the MAGA banner have been defeated repeatedly. Trump now holds a historically low approval rating, and the GOP is forecast to take major losses in the midterms. Historically, the party holding the White House has lost congressional seats in most midterm elections, and Trump's approval rating and endorsement record add headwinds the party cannot easily separate itself from given his central role in its messaging.

Political analyst Charlie Cook, founder of the Cook Political Report, wrote that for Republicans, "the three most plausible outcomes are that it will be bad, really bad, or truly horrible."