Karl Rove Declares Trump Has Finally Begun to ‘Correct His Course’ — and Reveals What GOP Must Do Next

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Legendary GOP operative Karl Rove praised President Donald Trump for finally beginning to “correct his course” in a new column for The Wall Street Journal  — and revealed what Trump and congressional Republicans must do next to avoid a disastrous midterm election cycle.

Rove began by calling Trump’s flip-flop on the Epstein files “wise and overdue,” while declaring that “the record suggests” Trump is not “hiding something.” He also gave Trump his plaudits for having “cut tariffs on products including coffee and bananas.”

“Tariffs raise prices, and some of these are things American workers can’t produce at all (bananas) or in sufficient quantities (Hawaii alone can’t supply U.S. coffee needs). These imports deserve zero tariffs,” he added.

Then Rove arrived at his thesis:

Another area in which the GOP would be wise to move in new directions is healthcare. The government shutdown put the spotlight on Democratic demands to continue Covid-era Affordable Care Act subsidies. Polls show Americans see healthcare costs as a key part of their personal economic well-being.

Democrats will make healthcare affordability a central midterm issue. It’ll be impossible for Republicans to ignore and unlikely they’ll win over most voters to their side. But the GOP can—and must—narrow the Democratic advantage.

He went on to argue that Republicans must offer an alternative health care policy centered around “empowering consumers,” and that “Congressional Republicans should head up the effort.”

“It’s the congressional majorities that will be on the ballot next year. A process led from Capitol Hill will result in more voices in those majorities advocating reforms, which is essential to narrowing the Democratic advantage on this issue,” submitted Rove. “Better to have several hundred GOP candidates spreading the word than depending on a White House that often struggles with message discipline.”

“Republicans don’t need to pass their proposals into law before the midterms. But they must show they have better healthcare answers than simply spending more taxpayer dollars,” he concluded.