The Senate eyes a ride on the Trump train

Whether his critics like it or not, President Trump has a knack for creating productive political spectacle that can engage the voting public on a grand scale. Mr. Trump is also a master of media tactics — not surprising, since he was a famous commodity on reality TV for years and is deft at producing buzz-worthy tweets and lasting narratives. Journalists, in act, simply can’t get enough of Mr. Trump, even if he infuriates them. The president is flexible — comfortable on late-night TV, the global stage, a jumbo rally or among the faithful. Mr. Trump, in fact, will address the 66th Annual National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.

All this multitasking is considered an asset by an increasing number of strategists.

“While conventional wisdom holds that Donald Trump will be a drag on Republican chances of maintaining control of the House, those vying to expand the party’s majority in the Senate are embracing the president as a unique asset in the upcoming campaigns,” writes Caitlin Huey-Burns, a national political reporter for Real Clear Politics.

“Unlike the House map, the Republicans’ path to success in the upper chamber runs through 10 states Trump won in 2016 — five of them by double-digit margins. But beyond those favorable fundamentals, the GOP is looking to the president to lead something of a mass-marketing campaign against well-known Democratic incumbents,” she continues. “Party operatives see the president’s penchant for coining catchy — and pejorative — nicknames, along with his made-for-television campaign rallies, as particularly helpful through the long primary process, helping to define the opposition while Republicans pick their nominees.”

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