‘A loser’: Trump blasts Karl Rove as strategist warns GOP faces approval-rating risks

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump demanded Fox News remove Republican strategist Karl Rove as a regular political contributor for the network after the latter publicly raised fresh questions about Trump’s standing with voters and the GOP’s prospects in the 2026 midterms.

Trump’s broadside put a spotlight on growing friction with one of the party’s most recognizable strategists. It also came as Rove highlighted weak approval numbers, election risks, and unresolved issues he argued could shape November’s outcome.

Trump unloads on Karl Rove

In a Truth Social post, Trump called on Fox News to cut ties with Rove, accusing the longtime Republican strategist of repeatedly misreading both him and the MAGA movement.

“Fox News should get rid of sloppy RINO Karl Rove,” Trump wrote.

Trump continued by claiming Rove had been wrong about him for more than a decade.

“He’s called ME and MAGA wrong for 11 years now, and he still doesn’t get it, and he never will, because he suffers from a completely inoperable, and totally dysfunctional, case of Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Trump said.

He ended the post with an even sharper attack, writing, “Put Karl Rove out to pasture, NOW. He is a LOSER, and he always will be!”

Trump did not specify what prompted the latest criticism.

Karl Rove highlights Trump approval concerns

Hours before Trump’s post, Rove appeared on Fox News and discussed the political landscape heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

While arguing Democrats may not get the sweeping gains some expect, Rove pointed to unfavorable ratings facing both parties.

“So the Democrats right today have an advantage, but it’s likely to produce a relatively small margin in the House elections,” Rove told Bill Hemmer.

Rove added that voter dissatisfaction could become a defining factor.

“And remember, this is a contest between two unfavorables. The president’s unfavorability is at 40%. The Democratic Party’s unfavorability is below 37. So who’s more-, who’s less popular, and how’s that going to affect the outcome?” he said.

The comments underscored concerns that Republican gains could be limited even as Democrats continue to struggle with their own image problems.

Karl Rove lists unanswered GOP vulnerabilities

Trump’s attack also came a day after Rove published a Wall Street Journal opinion piece examining what he described as major unanswered questions ahead of November.

“Most big questions about November remain unanswered,” Rove wrote.

Among those questions, he asked whether Trump’s approval rating could hurt Republicans more than Democrats’ own weak standing and whether ongoing issues would remain political liabilities by the fall.

Rove also pointed to concerns surrounding Trump’s public conduct and legacy-building efforts.

“How much will Mr. Trump’s obsessive efforts to cement a personal legacy — the White House ballroom, a triumphal arch, his name on the Kennedy Center — hurt Republicans?” he wrote.

He further asked, “How inflammatory will the president’s Truth Social posts be? Will the allegations of corruption in the Trump administration become an effective campaign issue for Democrats this fall?”

Rove ultimately predicted Democrats would win control of the House while Republicans would retain the Senate, but stressed that key political questions remain unsettled, leaving both parties facing uncertainty as the campaign season intensifies.