Lawrence Jones Warns GOP Lacks ‘Energy’ Ahead of Midterms as House Battle Tightens

Fox News host Lawrence Jones raised concerns Monday about the Republican Party’s position heading into the midterm elections, warning that he isn’t seeing enough “energy” from the GOP as control of the House hangs in the balance.

The warning came during a segment on “Fox & Friends” following a discussion about a reported secret meeting between House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Jared Kushner. The New York Times reported on the meeting over the weekend.

The conversation eventually shifted toward the November elections and whether Republicans will be able to hold onto their House majority.
“I think it’s a coin-flip right now when it comes to the House,” Jones said.

Co-host Brian Kilmeade noted that House Speaker Mike Johnson believes 19 seats are in play during the midterms, but Jones suggested Republicans may be facing a larger problem as Election Day approaches.

“Look, I’m not saying the Republicans aren’t trying, but I don’t see the energy with the Republicans right now,” Jones said.

Jones argued that Republicans have struggled to explain the economic situation to voters, including the effects of inflation and spending under the Biden administration.

He said the GOP faces a difficult task trying to communicate how the country reached its current economic position, pointing specifically to money pumped into the economy during the previous administration and the resulting impact of inflation.

“They say the number one rule in politics is if you are explaining, you’re losing,” Jones said, adding that Republicans “haven’t been able to make that case.”
Co-host Ainsley Earhardt then asked Jones what he would rather see Republicans do as they make their case to voters.

Jones said the party needs to focus on affordability and speak candidly with Americans about the progress Republicans believe has been made, while acknowledging that improvements have not happened as quickly as they would have liked.

“They have to be honest with the American people and say, ‘Look, we haven’t gotten here as fast as we want, but we were in the ditch, and things are going well as it relates to where we came from,’” Jones said.

He pointed to prescription drugs and tax cuts as areas Republicans could highlight while telling voters that more work remains to be done.
Jones also argued that simply attacking Democratic candidates will not be enough to carry Republicans through the election.
“If you think things are bad right now, turn the keys over to the Democrats,” he said.

While Jones agreed with criticism of some Democratic candidates, he stressed that Republicans will need a stronger message centered on the financial concerns facing voters.

“It’s not enough just to say that they are crazy,” Jones said.

Ultimately, Jones predicted that voters’ economic circumstances will dominate the November contest.
“Everything is gonna be about the pocketbook in election though,” he concluded.