Midterm elections seen as referendum on President Trump’s second term
Voters head to the polls as control of the Senate and House hangs in the balance, with Democrats hoping to capitalize on President Trump’s low approval ratings.
Americans are voting in midterm elections that many observers describe as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term. Control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, currently held by Republicans, is at stake.
Both parties have intensified their final outreach to voters. President Trump has traveled to dozens of rallies, urging his "Make America Great Again" base to support Republican candidates.
Historically, the party occupying the White House loses congressional seats in midterms, and Democrats are betting that Trump’s declining popularity could generate a "blue wave" that flips both chambers. Recent polls from the New York Times and Siena College show Democratic leads in five of seven key battleground contests, including races in Texas and Kansas.
The campaign has faced internal drama. In Michigan, Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost the Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers, drawing criticism from fellow Democrats. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer called the endorsement a betrayal.
In Alaska, the Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola denied involvement in a scheme to field a candidate with a name similar to Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. A Department of Justice lawsuit aimed at preventing voter confusion over the duplicate names was dismissed by a judge.
President Trump’s approval ratings have slipped to the low-30s, according to recent surveys. Democrats are framing the election as a choice about Trump’s conduct, citing concerns over alleged corruption, rising living costs, and the impact of the war with Iran on inflation.
A Harris poll cited by the Guardian found that 76% of respondents believe elected officials prioritize personal enrichment over economic improvement. Disclosures show Trump has earned about $2.2 billion since returning to the White House, including royalties from a trademarked meme coin.
The Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Todd Blanche, plans to deploy roughly 1,000 election monitors nationwide, a move critics say could intimidate voters. Uncertainty remains about whether President Trump will accept the results if Republicans do not retain control.