MAGA CNN strategist slams Trump admin's Georgia election raid as brutal midterms loom

A GOP strategist slammed President Donald Trump's latest scheme related to the 2020 election results in Georgia during a CNN interview on Thursday.

Shermichael Singleton, a GOP strategist, discussed the Trump administration's decision to raid the Fulton County Election Operations Hub on Wednesday and confiscate more than 700 boxes of materials related to the 2020 general election, including the county's voter rolls. The operation has alarmed local officials and national election rights advocates. A Fulton County commissioner described the raid as "an attack" on the right to vote.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present as Trump's FBI raided the Fulton County office, fueling speculation that Trump is trying to find a way to influence the upcoming midterm elections.

Singleton said on CNN's "The Lead" with fill-in host Phil Mattingly on Thursday that he wished Trump would focus on other issues.

"I probably wouldn't focus so much on this," Singleton said.

Singleton added that Trump had some "incredible victories" in 2024, which matter more since that was the election that delivered him the White House.

His concerns about the president's focus reflect broader anxieties rippling through the Republican Party about the 2026 midterms. A new Emerson College poll found that Democrats have a six-point advantage over Republicans in generic ballot tests, with 51% of respondents disapproving of the Trump administration.