{
  "id": 15585546,
  "title": "White House allies play midterms blame game",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/white-house-allies-play-midterms-blame-game",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-19T08:58:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Semafor",
    "slug": "semafor",
    "url": "https://www.semafor.com/article/10/19/2026/white-house-allies-play-midterms-blame-game"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "White House allies are engaging in a blame game ahead of the midterm elections. The administration is contemplating who will be held responsible if Republicans underperform. The White House has noticed increased tension, which includes discussions about replacing Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and assigning blame to James Blair, Trump's outside adviser, who recently faced criticism for a work trip to Republika Srpska. Wiles remains secure in her position, with Trump offering repeated support. While Blair's status remains uncertain, other potential targets include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who could face criticism due to the controversial Iran war. The level of blame assigned is contingent on the outcome of the elections, with sources close to the White House indicating that retaining control of the Senate would likely satisfy Trump. The White House dismissed these speculations as \"armchair\" opinions, asserting that the commentators are more focused on themselves than on assisting the President. White House spokesman Davis Ingle emphasized that Trump is intensely focused on securing Republican majorities in Congress during the midterm elections. He is currently on a nationwide tour emphasizing the administration's accomplishments for American citizens.",
  "summary": "The White House has witnessed an uptick in drama driven by the midterms.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Semafor",
        "title": "Peptide group to meet with White House over pending regulatory plan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/peptide-group-to-meet-with-white-house-over-pending-regulatory-plan",
        "published": "2026-10-19T08:59:23.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}