Trump White House has no thoughts about a possible Democratic led House next year…

Alumni of President George W. Bush’s second term are getting flashbacks: Democrats are favored to take over the House, spelling a raft of headaches for a Republican president.

The big picture: What’s true today was also true in 2006. Bush 43 aides were certain that winter was coming — and they were right: Voters, driven by discontent over the Iraq war, ended 12 years of Republican rule in the House, giving Speaker Pelosi the gavel in January 2007.

So top Bush West Wing officials formed a secret “Oh Sh@# Group” to get ready.

• “You have to plan for a war footing, but you can’t give any external signs that you’ve lost confidence,” a member of the OSG told me. “They’ll still be putting up a fight, so you can’t have the press or people around town saying: ‘The White House is planning for their party to lose.'”
• The planning began as soon as Josh Bolten was sworn in as White House chief of staff in April 2006, when it was already clear that losing one or both chambers was a real possibility. Throughout the summer and fall, the OSG met regularly in Bolten’s office.

Despite bearish signs about November, the current White House has no OSG — in part, I’m told, because President Trump and some West Wing officials believe Republicans will hold on.

• Trump is already holding frequent rallies in key areas for the midterms, and will travel even more after Labor Day. He relishes the fight, and loves the idea that he’ll save the House for Republicans.
• Nevertheless, Jonathan Swan says that many administration officials he talks to are downbeat about November. Those with experience in more than one campaign are likely to see saving the House as a 50-50 proposition, at best.

In this time of political sea change, the White House has done little contingency planning….

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