Republicans prepare to blame one another if they lose big in November, as House members target the Senate and Trump aides call struggling campaigns

Republicans are beginning to point fingers at one another as the party’s prospects in the midterm elections appear increasingly beyond its control, Politico reported. With lawmakers bracing for President Donald Trump’s anger if Republicans suffer major losses in November, House Republicans are preparing to blame the Senate side, while Trump’s political aides have directly called campaigns they believe are underperforming.

National GOP operatives are privately angry with candidates they say failed to prepare for a difficult election year despite early warnings. Some candidates, in turn, are blaming their party committees. More than a dozen senior GOP operatives and lawmakers told Politico the situation has become a “vicious cycle.”

Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, who is facing a tighter-than-comfortable race of his own, said that if the blame game happens, “there will be plenty of blame to go around.”