Trump Kicks Off 32-Day Midterm Blitz as War and Economy Drag Down His Poll Numbers

President Donald Trump launched an intensive 32-day campaign swing on Thursday, hoping to shield his Republican Party from a likely backlash over the unpopular war with Iran and mounting economic anxiety. The president traveled from Washington, DC, to hold back-to-back rallies in Texas and Oklahoma, marking the start of a frantic push before the November 3 midterm elections.

Speaking at the Peterbilt Motors Company, a truck manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas, Trump offered an upbeat assessment of his own administration. He awarded himself top marks, declaring that his team deserved an A+ for its handling of government and economics. The remark was aimed at countering a wave of negative polling that has alarmed Republican strategists in recent weeks.

Trump also blamed what he called unfair media coverage for his sagging popularity, arguing that his rally tour was necessary to correct the public record. He complained that his administration had done a poor job of promoting its achievements, even as he insisted it had done an excellent job of governing. The comments reflected a growing frustration inside the White House over its inability to reverse negative perceptions.

The numbers, however, tell a different story. New polling released on Thursday by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 71 percent of Americans disapprove of the war with Iran. The conflict, which began on February 28, has disrupted global energy markets and pushed fuel costs sharply higher. Roughly half of those surveyed said they were worried about affording food and gasoline, and only 26 percent approved of Trump’s handling of the economy.

The war has had a direct impact on the trucking industry that Trump visited on Thursday. Diesel prices, the fuel used by the heavy trucks built at the Peterbilt plant, surged to record highs above $6 a gallon last week. Gasoline prices have risen in parallel, adding to the financial strain on households and small businesses. The elevated costs stem in part from Iran’s decision to halt commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for the global fuel trade.

Despite the grim polling, Trump has placed himself at the center of the Republican midterm strategy. At a first-of-its-kind Republican convention in September, he urged voters to treat the election as a referendum on his record. “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” he said at the time, a message he repeated during Thursday’s stops. In Durant, Oklahoma, he again told the crowd to imagine his name on the ticket, warning that a loss would lead to his impeachment.

That fear is not without basis. Trump was impeached twice during his first term and has expressed concern that a third impeachment could follow if Republicans lose control of Congress. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs in November, along with 35 of the 100 Senate seats. Losing either chamber would cripple his legislative agenda during the final two years of his second term.

During his Texas stop, Trump sought to promote his tariff campaign, crediting it with creating thousands of manufacturing jobs. He told workers that previous politicians had betrayed them by allowing foreign trade cheaters to plunder wages and close factories, and he insisted that his policies had reversed that trend. His tariffs, however, remain highly controversial and have faced multiple court challenges from critics who argue they exceed the president’s constitutional authority.

On the war, Trump attempted to reassure supporters that the conflict would end soon and that energy prices would fall rapidly. He predicted an easy victory, suggesting it could come either before or immediately after the election. Yet a ceasefire remains elusive, and both sides have already declared victory, leaving the conflict in a volatile stalemate that continues to weigh on global markets.

Trump’s itinerary this month largely targets reliably Republican districts in Alabama, Ohio, and Nebraska, following his initial stops in Texas and Oklahoma. The strategy appears designed to shore up his base rather than expand his party’s reach. But some races that were once considered safe for Republicans have grown unexpectedly competitive, raising doubts about the effectiveness of that approach.

In Texas, no Democrat has won a statewide race since the 1990s, yet Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is struggling in his Senate bid against Democrat James Talarico. Trump used both of Thursday’s appearances to boost Paxton, calling him the greatest attorney general in the country and urging voters to get him elected. The race has become an unexpected bellwether for Republican fortunes nationwide.

With less than five weeks until Election Day, Trump’s blitz represents a high-stakes gamble. He is betting that personal campaigning can overcome deep public discontent over the war and the economy. Whether that bet pays off will determine not only the balance of power in Washington but also the fate of his remaining time in office.