Republican strategist Karl Rove has a message for President Donald Trump as midterm elections loom: it's time to talk about what you've actually done, and maybe dial back the promises a bit.

Rove is worried about Trump's approval numbers, which aren't exactly where the GOP would like them. His prescription? The President needs to do a better job selling his accomplishments and laying out concrete plans for what's next, particularly when it comes to health care policy.

The veteran strategist suggested Trump should head down to the southern border to spotlight his administration's immigration enforcement work. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers should be hammering home their legislative victories to voters back home, including the renewal of 2017 tax credits and fresh third quarter GDP gains, according to The Hill.

But here's the kicker: Rove warned that weak polling could seriously hurt the GOP's chances in the 2026 elections. His advice boiled down to a simple strategy: "lower the expectations, and over-deliver."

The numbers tell an interesting story. Trump's approval rating cratered to a second-term low of 41% last month before climbing back to around 45%. Still, Rove pointed out that midterms are historically brutal for the party in power, with only a handful of exceptions in recent memory.

This matters because the Trump administration's messaging strategy could make or break the GOP's midterm performance. If Republicans can successfully highlight their wins on health care, immigration enforcement, tax policy, and economic growth, they might be able to shift public sentiment and boost those approval numbers.

The real test will be whether the administration can buck the historical pattern of ruling parties getting hammered in midterms. That's where Rove's "under-promise, over-deliver" philosophy comes into play. Setting realistic expectations and then exceeding them could be the difference between holding ground and losing it in the upcoming elections.