Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called upon the Republican Party to spotlight how President Donald Trump and the “big, beautiful bill” are improving the United States if it wants to woo voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Republicans are seeking to maintain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate next year, with stakes being highest in the House, where the party only has a small majority. Following the GOP successfully getting the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to Trump’s desk, McCarthy encouraged Republican lawmakers to highlight key components of the legislation, specifically how it will improve the well-being of U.S. residents.

Recommended Stories

• One year later, Butler still has few answers
• House Oversight investigation into Biden autopen use plows ahead with more witnesses
• Mamdani father's role on terrorist-tied anti-Israel group exposed as suicide bomber comments resurface

“If you didn’t pass it, everybody’s taxes would go up. So, they’re keeping them the same. So, show them they secured the border. Show them they’re bringing their energy costs down. Show them they’re making the average American’s life better,” McCarthy said on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.

McCarthy also suggested Trump is “more powerful today” than former President Ronald Reagan, saying the current president is transforming “the setting of the world.” As such, McCarthy suggested Republicans highlight to voters why “it needs to stay” like this.

On the Democratic Party’s side, McCarthy said the recent primary election victory of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in New York City is indicative of the direction toward which the party is moving. He explained how the Republican victories in New York City and Los Angeles were followed by the 1994 “revolutions of the Republicans,” and the 2025 election in the Big Apple showcases the Democratic Party moving to a “socialist wing.”

The New York City mayoral election, which McCarthy called a “national race,” also indicates how the Democratic Party is “leaderless.” He contended neither Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), nor House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) are in control of their party, suggesting former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) would have retired if Jeffries was “the true leader” of the Democrats.

“But the sad part here is it’s telling you the Democratic Party isn’t coming back to the middle, where they could actually try to start winning bases listening to [Sen. John] Fetterman. They’re moving more toward a socialist wing, and after this election, Mamdani is stronger today,” McCarthy said.

Former Democratic congressman for Minnesota Dean Phillips has also cautioned about the consequences of Mamdani’s victory, saying the candidate winning the general election could hurt his party’s chances in the midterm elections. He added that there is no room for “socialists” in the Democratic Party, encouraging candidates aligned to these beliefs to start their own party.

CORNYN AND PAXTON PUT BITTER PRIMARY ASIDE FOR TEXAS FLOOD VISIT WITH TRUMP

Billionaire Elon Musk, an ex-ally of Trump’s, has been critical of the “big, beautiful bill,” calling it a “disgusting abomination” for adding to the deficit. 

Musk has pledged to help fund primary challenges against “every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history.” He has also since advocated to start a third party called the “America Party,” and indicated that a priority of it would be to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein after the Trump administration has sought to close the books on this.