What changed
Donald Trump spent the final weekend before Tuesday’s midterm elections rallying in Florida, Iowa and Kansas, while also joining tele-rallies for candidates in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
He made rising prices, trade and immigration central themes, while warning that Democrats would “bankrupt your family” if they regained power. In Michigan, former Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers after losing the Democratic nomination to Abdul El-Sayed.
Why it matters
Trump’s itinerary shows a defensive Republican campaign, even in states he previously won comfortably. Florida, Iowa and Kansas are now being treated as important tests of whether Republicans can hold Congress.
The pressure is practical. Fuel, groceries and health care have become more expensive since the war in Iran began over eight months ago, giving Democrats an opening to turn economic frustration into votes. Trump is trying to redirect that frustration toward Democrats with warnings about borders, guns and transgender rights.
The numbers currently favor Democrats, though they are not results. A national poll puts registered voters’ preference for a Democratic-controlled Congress at 52% to 45%, while a Harvard forecasting tool gives Democrats a 96% chance of winning the House and a 76% chance of winning the Senate.
If Democrats take either chamber, they could check Trump’s power and reshape the final two years of his presidency. Whether the rallies change turnout, however, remains uncertain, and cheering crowds cannot by themselves show how the wider electorate will vote.
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