In a striking moment of candor on Fox News’ “The Five,” hosts Greg Gutfeld and Kayleigh McEnany acknowledged on Monday that Republicans face genuine danger heading into November midterm elections. The former White House press secretary warned that historical trends point to an “uphill battle” for President Donald Trump’s party.
The unusually frank discussion unfolded after co-host Harold Ford Jr., a former Democratic representative from Tennessee, warned that President Trump is “underwater” on key issues including health care and the economy. Gutfeld, appearing concerned about his party’s prospects, pressed McEnany directly on the March 16, 2026 broadcast.
“Kayleigh, I don’t wanna be surprised or blindsided in November,” Gutfeld said. “Should we be honest now and say, are we in danger?”
McEnany, who served as Trump’s press secretary during his first administration, did not sugarcoat her response. She confirmed Republicans are in danger, pointing to historical trends where the governing party typically faces a referendum and loses seats in midterm elections.
The admission came as recent polling data revealed mixed news for Republicans. An NBC News poll conducted between February 27, 2026 and March 3, 2026, which surveyed 1,000 registered U.S. voters via telephone and online, showed Republicans maintaining advantages on certain issues while trailing significantly on others.
According to the poll, Republicans lead Democrats by 27 points on border security and 12 points on immigration, though both advantages have shrunk from October. Democrats retained their edge on protecting constitutional rights (+7 points), protecting democracy (+11 points), and dealing with health care (+20 points). The parties are now even on the economy, with 40% of voters choosing each party — Republicans’ worst showing on that question in NBC News polling since December 2017.
Democrats continue to hold an edge on the generic congressional ballot, with 50% of registered voters saying they’d prefer Democrats win control of Congress this fall, compared to 44% who prefer Republican control. Democrats need a net gain of only three seats to capture the House majority, while the Senate remains more of an uphill battle.
McEnany attempted to pivot toward optimism, arguing that Republicans can prevail if they maintain focus on “issues” rather than getting caught up in “distractions.” She referenced a recent conversation with former Senator Joe Manchin, the West Virginia independent who left the Democratic Party in 2024, who reportedly advised Democrats to follow leaders like Senator John Fetterman rather than Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The Fox News host also suggested that Democrats face their own strategic challenges heading into the midterms and beyond. She argued that Democrats cannot rely on what she termed “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a winning strategy, stating that “TDS cannot be the strategy in 2028. That’s not going to take you to The Promised Land.”
She further argued that Democrats have divisions to address on major policy questions, including Medicare for all, Israel, and what she described as “government-run grocery stores.”
The discussion on “The Five” reflected broader concerns that have emerged following controversial developments in Trump’s second administration. The administration’s decision to strike Iran on February 28, 2026, entering a conflict with no solid end date, took many Americans by surprise, coming from a president who campaigned on an “America First” agenda and railed against foreign interventions.
The administration now finds itself justifying the war to a skeptical public, as Americans see hits to their pocketbooks from rising gas prices. A new NBC News poll finds that 54% of voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran and say the U.S. should not have taken military action.
Voters have also reacted to the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that President Trump signed into law in July 2025. The legislation’s Medicaid measures are forecast to lead to 7.5 million more Americans without insurance, while an additional 10 million Americans total will not have health insurance by 2034. The Congressional Budget Office found that the lowest-income households will see their projected incomes drop by about $1,200 a year, mainly from reductions in benefits including Medicaid and food stamps.
The war has also created tension between the administration and the media. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to revoke broadcast licenses on Saturday, echoing criticism from President Trump over media coverage of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. “Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions — also known as the fake news — have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,” Carr said. President Trump endorsed the threat, calling media organizations “Corrupt and Highly Unpatriotic.”
McEnany’s acknowledgment of Republican vulnerability represents a notable shift in tone. Earlier this year, Democratic strategist James Carville appeared on Fox News and joined the growing swell of Republicans with his forecast of a “wipeout” in this year’s midterm elections — a prediction that took “Saturday in America” host McEnany aback. Carville predicted Democrats would pick up “at a minimum 25 seats, maybe as high as 45” and would likely carry the Senate.
McEnany is not the only current or former Fox News host to warn of potential disaster in the midterms. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted 18 House races in Democrats’ favor this month, citing Trump’s unpopularity in polling and a recent streak of Democratic wins in special elections nationwide.
Despite her candid assessment of the obstacles ahead, McEnany maintained that Republicans could still succeed if they execute the right strategy. She emphasized the importance of focusing on substantive policy debates, arguing that “elections are not referendums; they are choices” and that if Republicans can “litigate the issues and not the distractions, they end up winning.”
The November midterm elections will test whether McEnany’s optimism proves justified or whether historical patterns and current political dynamics combine to deliver the losses both Gutfeld and McEnany now acknowledge are possible.