National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Sunday predicted Democrats will get a “rude awakening” on Election Day, anticipating Republicans cruising to a majority in the upper chamber on issues like inflation and crime.
“I think the Democrats are going to get a rude awakening on Nov. 8 that high inflation, high crime, open border is not what the American public wants,” Scott told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz.
The economy and inflation has consistently ranked as a top issue for voters as the midterms approach, providing a major political liability for Democrats as they attempt to maintain their razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate.
Annual inflation has hit a 40-year high, and although price gains have since eased slightly, consumer prices still remain elevated and rose 8.2 percent in the year ending in September.
Republicans have consistently portrayed Democrats as soft on crime and criticized the Biden administration’s immigration policies in their midterm messaging, while Democrats have looked to court voters by stressing issues like abortion.
If the GOP takes control of either chamber, the party is expected to pursue a variety of investigations into the Biden administration, with the targets ranging from his son, Hunter Biden, to White House chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci.
But when asked what those investigations would look like under a Republican-controlled Congress on Sunday, Scott sidestepped the question and focused on policy objectives instead, saying Republicans would pass “good legislation” that he hoped Biden would sign.
“What you hope is that we figure out how to get inflation down, and that means we have to live within our means,” Scott said on ABC.
“What you hope is that we get a secure border,” he added. “We can get some immigration reform done but you can’t do it without a secure border. You hope that we start supporting our law enforcement. I know Republicans do, I hope the Democrats start doing this.”
Scott earlier this year released a policy agenda outlining potential Republican policy proposals, including a controversial provision that would sunset all federal legislation every five years without additional congressional action.
Democrats have seized on the plan to convince voters that Republicans plan to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits, which Scott and other Republicans have rejected.
Scott’s plan also sparked tension with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who was eager to portray the elections as a referendum on Democrats rather than focusing on GOP policy initiatives.