Trump's 2026 Midterms Push

The story so far

As of October 2, 2026

Donald Trump has moved from holding his political cash to promising his time. At a Rose Garden dinner with Republicans in tough races, he told them to run on his White House record despite low approval ratings and voters’ sour views of the economy and the Iran war. He said control of Congress will come down to about 35 contests and pledged to campaign in every one. He singled out Senate races in Alaska, where Dan Sullivan faces Mary Peltola, and in Texas, where Ken Paxton faces James Talarico, and said his focus will be on both House and Senate seats.

Visibility is the plan. Trump spoke on both nights of the party’s unusual midterm convention in Dallas, headlining the first event of its kind, and says he will adopt an aggressive travel schedule in the final month. From that stage he promised $5,000 to every adult American if Republicans keep both the House and the Senate, and the White House set October for $500 refunds to nearly one million people in 30 states who buy health coverage on the federal marketplace without subsidies. At the same time, he has kept most of his political money on the sidelines, leaving battleground Republicans waiting for help and pushing some candidates and officials to put distance between their campaigns and his agenda.

What is at stake now is whether making Trump the message can overcome a worsening economic verdict tied directly to him. His economic approval has hit a new low, with 65 percent of adults saying higher‑than‑usual prices are a result of his policies and only 17 percent approving of how he is handling the cost of living. His overall approval slid five points in a week to 35 percent and has touched fresh lows heading into the vote. The facts that explain the rest of the story are these: prices and the months‑long Iran war define the mood, Trump has chosen to answer that anger with promised checks and personal campaigning, and he is still withholding most of the money that could otherwise shape those roughly three dozen races.