From top officials like Pete Hegseth to White House aides to right-wing pundits, the race is on to find someone besides Donald Trump to blame for the Republicans’ catastrophic losses.

Republicans are spending their time and money on Senate races in historically red states—a sign they’re more nervous than ever as Election Day looms.

As the White House contemplates losing Congress, there has been an unusually early effort to find a Republican scapegoat.