With his approval rating at its lowest point in modern midterm history, President Trump has launched a 32-day campaign tour through battleground states like Texas and Ohio, wagering that his personal presence can mobilize voters where polling cannot reassure them. The midterms carry the weight of congressional control and the shadow of a potential third impeachment, making this sprint less a celebration of strength than a reckoning with consequence. History has rarely seen a president campaign so visibly against such unfavorable winds, and the outcome will say as much about the durability of p
Trump plans 32-day midterm campaign tour as approval ratings hit historic lows
They all want me to go campaign. I'm one person.
Mark
So Trump is betting everything on a month-long tour. Does he actually have the political capital to move votes right now?
Mimi
That's the tension at the heart of the story. His approval is at 37 percent—the lowest any president has had going into midterms in over 30 years. But his team believes he can still mobilize people who don't normally vote.
Luke
Right, but that's a theory, not a fact. We know his approval is low. We don't know yet whether low-propensity voters will actually turn out for him, or whether his presence helps or hurts Republican candidates in swing districts.
Mark
What's driving the approval collapse?
Mimi
Two things, mainly. Voters are angry about the cost of living, and Trump's war with Iran has roiled global energy markets, making that worse. It's a direct economic hit people feel.
Luke
That's what voters are saying they're frustrated about. But we should be careful about causation—how much of the inflation is from the Iran conflict versus other factors? The source doesn't break that down.
Mark
Fair. What about the DHS spending on ads? That seems like a separate scandal.
Mimi
It does. Twenty million dollars in taxpayer money spent on campaign ads for Trump. Democratic and Republican lawmakers both called it illegal and corrupt.
Luke
They called it that. The legal question—whether it actually violates anti-propaganda law—isn't settled in the reporting. It's an allegation, a serious one, but not yet adjudicated.
Mark
So the real question is whether Trump's tour changes anything.
Mimi
Exactly. He's betting his personal appeal can overcome the economic headwinds. If it doesn't work, Republicans could lose Congress.
Luke
And if they do lose both chambers, he's said he could face impeachment. That's the stakes. But we won't know the outcome until November.
The Pulse
- Trump's approval has sunk to 37 percent — the lowest any sitting president has carried into midterms since 1990 — driven by voter anger over rising living costs and the economic fallout from his military conflict with Iran.
- The stakes could not be higher: Republican control of both the House and Senate hangs in the balance, and Trump himself has acknowledged that a Democratic sweep could trigger a third impeachment.
- Rather than retreat, Trump is doubling down — pledging to campaign across competitive states with the same intensity as his 2024 presidential run, betting that his base-mobilization power outweighs his damaged national standing.
- A $20 million Department of Homeland Security advertising campaign promoting Trump's record has drawn bipartisan condemnation, with Democratic Senator Patty Murray formally accusing the administration of illegally using taxpayer funds for political propaganda.
- Republican strategists are counting on Trump to turn out low-frequency voters who respond to his presence rather than to conventional political messaging — a gamble that has worked before but has never faced odds quite this steep.
With his approval rating at its lowest point in modern midterm history, President Trump has launched a 32-day campaign tour through battleground states like Texas and Ohio, wagering that his personal presence can mobilize voters where polling cannot reassure them. The midterms carry the weight of congressional control and the shadow of a potential third impeachment, making this sprint less a celebration of strength than a reckoning with consequence. History has rarely seen a president campaign so visibly against such unfavorable winds, and the outcome will say as much about the durability of political loyalty as it will about any single candidate or policy.
President Trump has announced he will spend the next 32 days traveling through competitive states to campaign for Republican candidates ahead of November's midterm elections. Stops in places like Texas and Ohio reflect where congressional control is genuinely in play. Trump framed the tour as a response to demand, telling reporters that candidates across the country were asking for his presence. "They all want me to go," he said.
The midterms carry extraordinary stakes. Control of the House and Senate will determine whether Trump's legislative agenda advances or stalls, and Trump has openly acknowledged the possibility of a third impeachment should Democrats take both chambers.
That confidence, however, runs against a difficult backdrop. A Wall Street Journal poll placed his approval rating at 37 percent — the lowest for any president entering midterms since the Journal began tracking the figure in 1990. Voters point to two compounding frustrations: the rising cost of living and the destabilizing effects of Trump's decision to launch a military conflict with Iran, which has rattled global energy markets and pushed prices higher.
Republican strategists are betting that Trump can do what polls cannot measure — turn out voters who typically stay home but respond to his message. The party held its first-ever midterm political convention in Texas this month, with Trump as keynote speaker, and his allies have promised he will campaign with the urgency of 2024.
The effort has not been without controversy. The Department of Homeland Security spent $20 million producing campaign-style advertisements promoting Trump's record, prompting Democratic Senator Patty Murray to write to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, calling the spending an illegal misuse of taxpayer funds that violates anti-propaganda statutes. Objections have come from members of both parties.
Trump has dismissed concerns about his standing and denied that Republican candidates are keeping their distance. Whether his 32-day push can reverse the political tide — or whether historic approval lows will define the outcome — remains the central question of the weeks ahead.
President Trump announced this week that he will spend the next 32 days on the road, moving through multiple states to campaign for Republican candidates ahead of November's midterm elections. The tour will take him to competitive races in places like Texas and Ohio—states where control of Congress could genuinely shift. Trump framed the effort as a show of party unity, telling reporters that Republican candidates across the country were asking him to come. "They all want me to go," he said. "I'm one person. They all want me to go campaign."
The midterms themselves carry enormous weight. Voters will decide which party controls the House and Senate for the next two years, effectively determining whether Trump's legislative agenda moves forward or faces sustained obstruction. The stakes are high enough that Trump has openly acknowledged the possibility of a third impeachment if Democrats manage to take both chambers.
Yet Trump's confidence sits in sharp tension with the numbers. His approval rating has collapsed to 37 percent, according to a Wall Street Journal poll released last week. That is the lowest approval rating any sitting president has carried into a midterm election since the Journal began tracking the metric in 1990, when George H.W. Bush held office. Voters cite two main sources of frustration: the rising cost of living and the consequences of Trump's decision to launch a military conflict with Iran, which has destabilized global energy markets and driven prices higher.
Republican strategists are banking on Trump's ability to mobilize voters who typically sit out elections—people who might not otherwise show up at the polls but who respond to Trump's message and presence. The party held its first-ever midterm political convention in Texas this month, with Trump delivering the keynote address. His allies have pledged that he will "campaign like it's 2024 again," invoking his successful second presidential bid.
But Trump's campaign push has already drawn scrutiny and criticism. The Department of Homeland Security, which has been central to Trump's mass deportation efforts, recently spent $20 million to produce campaign-style advertisements promoting Trump's accomplishments. Democratic Senator Patty Murray wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Tuesday, calling the effort an illegal misuse of taxpayer money that violates anti-propaganda laws. "We should not have to remind you that using government funding to create or air political ads like the ones that have been running over the last few days is illegal and a shockingly corrupt misuse of taxpayer dollars," she wrote. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have objected to the practice.
Trump has dismissed concerns about his popularity and denied that Republican candidates are distancing themselves from his administration. The coming weeks will test whether his 32-day sprint can shift the political landscape enough to preserve Republican control of Congress, or whether his historic approval lows will drag the party down.
Notable Quotes
They all want me to go. I'm one person. They all want me to go campaign.— President Trump, speaking to reporters
Using government funding to create or air political ads like the ones that have been running over the last few days is illegal and a shockingly corrupt misuse of taxpayer dollars.— Democratic Senator Patty Murray, in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin
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