US midterm elections: Republicans under pressure as Trump’s approval lags

Americans are voting in midterm elections held midway through Donald Trump’s second term, with control of both chambers of Congress at stake. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs, along with 35 of the 100 Senate seats, and Republicans face a difficult task to hold their majorities.

Key battleground states and an intra-party upset

Political attention is centered on several swing states: Texas, Kansas, Maine, Ohio, Iowa, Alaska and Michigan. The campaign in Michigan turned chaotic after Democrat Haley Stevens refused to endorse her fellow Democrat Abdul El-Saed — who defeated her in the primary — and instead backed Republican candidate Mike Rogers.

Trump is not in a strong position heading into the vote. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows just 32% of respondents approve of Trump’s job performance, while 38% say they support the Republican Party. Facing low ratings, he has mounted an intense campaign, appearing as the principal speaker at dozens of rallies across the country.

At several rallies Trump urged supporters: “On these elections, please, imagine that I am also on the ballot. Just imagine.” He and other Republicans have repeatedly portrayed Democratic candidates as radical and un-American; Trump said in a Washington speech: “The Democratic Party nominated the most extreme and most dangerous slate of candidates in American history.”

Voters overwhelmingly say their top concern is the rising cost of living after food and fuel prices climbed sharply — developments officials tie in part to Mr. Trump’s aggressive tariffs and the unpopular war with Iran. Inflation has also risen from 3% when Trump took office to 3.7% today, and economists say it would be lower without his global tariffs. Republican strategists worry that the economic picture has left them vulnerable even in races normally considered safe in Texas, Ohio and Kansas.

Voting began weeks ago: more than 55 million Americans are estimated to have already cast ballots by mail, and Trump himself voted on October 24 in Florida. If Democrats win control of one or both chambers, they could stall Trump’s legislative agenda, open investigations into his administration and block his judicial nominees. Trump has said he will accept the results if “they are honest.”

Photo: AP)