Randy Fertel links Trump’s midterm strategy to improvisation

Author Randy Fertel says Donald Trump’s ability to improvise has been central to his political power and could shape the GOP’s 2026 midterm prospects. Fertel is offering his analysis as Republicans try to defend House and Senate control ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.

Why it matters: - Randy Fertel argues that Donald Trump’s improvisational style remains a core political advantage as Republicans try to hold off Democratic gains in the 2026 midterms. - Fertel says that style helps Trump keep his base engaged while distracting opponents and the broader public. - The analysis lands as campaigning intensifies and the election season enters its final stretch.

What happened: - Author and former professor Randy Fertel is pitching his view of Trump as an “improvisational trickster” ahead of the Nov. 3 election. - Fertel says Trump’s power comes from “winging it” and using improvisation as a political tool. - Fertel is available for interviews through Blue Highway Advisory. - His book, “Winging It: Improv’s Power and Peril in the Age of Trump,” has been re-released in 2026 as an audiobook.

The details: - Fertel compares Trump’s improvisational quality to Louis Armstrong’s creative instinct, while warning that the same trait can become dangerous in the wrong hands. - Fertel says Trump has used flashy, attention-grabbing tactics before, including the 2024 debate line about people “eating the dogs” and “eating the cats.” - Fertel says Trump may again use that approach to keep attention away from political setbacks, legal defeats and broader economic and foreign-policy concerns. - Fertel’s follow-up book, “The Age of Improv: How Improvisation Created Global Popular Culture,” is in progress. - LSU Press is expected to publish the new book in 2027. - Fertel is a Harvard-educated academic, philanthropist and author of six books. - Fertel serves as president of the Fertel Foundation and co-founded the Ron Ridenhour Awards for investigative journalism and truth-telling. - Fertel also administers the Ruth U. Fertel Foundation, named for his mother, Ruth Fertel, the founder of Ruth’s Chris Steak House. - Fertel lives in New Orleans and New York.

Between the lines: - The pitch frames Trump’s political durability less as discipline and more as instinctive performance. - That interpretation suggests the GOP’s midterm challenge may hinge as much on message disruption as on policy arguments. - The release also positions Fertel as a commentator who connects Trump’s politics to a broader theory of improvisation in culture and leadership.

What’s next: - Fertel is seeking interviews as the midterm campaign accelerates. - The 2026 election cycle is approaching Election Day on Nov. 3, when Republicans will try to preserve their majorities or limit losses. - Fertel’s new book project is slated for a 2027 release if LSU Press proceeds on schedule.

The bottom line: - Fertel’s thesis is that Trump’s political strength comes from improvisation, and that same habit could again shape the GOP’s fate in November.