Trump hauls in millions for House GOP 2026 war chest as Dems taunt they are ‘running scared’

FIRST ON FOX — As congressional Republicans gear up for a bruising battle in the 2026 midterm elections to hold onto their razor-thin House majority, President Donald Trump is stepping up his efforts as well.

The president on Tuesday evening will headline a major donor event in the nation’s capital for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which is the House GOP’s campaign arm. 

The fundraiser is expected to haul in at least $10 million for the NRCC, a source familiar with the event tells Fox News.

Republicans currently control the House – when the chamber returns to full strength – with a fragile 220-215 majority, and fundraising will be crucial to the GOP’s game-plan to keep control.

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Now-President Donald Trump greets Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chair of National Republican Congressional Committee, at the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Asked what concerns him the most when it comes to defending the House majority, NRCC chair Rep. Richard Hudson said in a Fox News Digital interview on Monday that “Democrats have a structural advantage when it comes to fundraising. They always seem to have just mountains of money. So I think the amount of money the Democrats raise is probably the only thing that really concerns me.”

“We have to raise enough money to keep up with the Democrats and make sure that our candidates can get their message out,” Hudson emphasized.

Hudson, a North Carolina Republican and 12-year veteran of the House, said that “the President understands that he’s got to keep the House majority in the midterm so that he has a four-year runway, instead of a two-year runway to get his agenda enacted.”

And pointing to the House Democratic leader, Hudson added, “Speaker Hakeem Jeffries would fight President Trump on every front, and it would be really difficult for him to achieve his agenda. President Trump understands it’s important to hold the House and he’s, he’s been extremely helpful to us and we appreciate it.”

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Rep. Richard Hudson speaks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 18, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

Hours before Trump was scheduled to attend the NRCC fundraiser, the House Democrats’ campaign arm took aim at nearly three dozen Republican-held seats in the chamber as they aim to win back the majority.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) on Tuesday morning released its initial 2026 target list, which included 35 GOP-controlled seats, and launched an effort to fundraise for the party’s eventual nominees in each of the districts.

The DCCC emphasized that their moves signal that “Democrats are on offense and poised to win the majority in 2026.”

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The unveiling of the DCCC list came three weeks after the NRCC went up with its initial target list, which took aim at 26 districts controlled by House Democrats.

“House Republicans are running scared, and they should be. They’re tanking the economy, gutting Medicaid, abandoning our veterans, and making everything more expensive. In short, they’ve lost the trust of their constituents, and it’s going to cost them the majority,” DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state charged in a statement announcing the moves.

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While the party in power, which clearly is the Republicans, traditionally faces serious political headwinds in the midterm elections, the NRCC is optimistic they can defend their majority.

“If you look at the landscape for the 2026 election, there are only three Republicans in districts that [former vice president and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee] Kamala Harris carried, but there are 13 Democrats in seats that Donald Trump carried, and half of those are majority Hispanic districts that President Trump has really put in play for us,” Hudson reiterated.

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The NRCC also points to the growing number of House Democrats who are seeking statewide office in 2026 rather than running for re-election.

Hudson said the trend would “absolutely” help the GOP defend the majority next year.

“It’s much easier to win an open seat than a seat with a Democrat incumbent who’s entrenched.,” Hudson said. “I think it’s incredibly helpful, and I think you’re going to see a whole lot more Democrats running for other offices and retiring.”