In the last weekend before the pivotal US midterm elections, President Donald Trump made a final pitch to voters in an effort to keep Republicans in control of Congress. He held rallies in Florida, Iowa and Kansas, states he won in previous elections, a move that reflected the party’s defensive stance ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
Trump also joined tele-rallies for candidates in states including Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Throughout the weekend he has been campaigning across the country, including in areas that were once considered safe Republican strongholds.
Rallies focus on attacks on Democrats and cost of living
Voters have expressed frustration over rising prices. Trump sought to play down those concerns and shift attention to Democrats, saying they would “bankrupt” families if elected. According to reports on the rallies, prices have risen particularly for fuel, groceries and health care since the war in Iran began more than eight months ago.
Also read: US Midterms: Democrats Lead Polls as Trump Cancels Rallies
At the events in Florida and Iowa, Trump highlighted his policies on trade and immigration. He said that if Democrats gained power, they would:
- “open the border”
- “bankrupt your family”
- “take away your guns”
- “mutilate your children”
He also played video montages of Democrats criticising ICE and supporting transgender rights. Trump told supporters he had transformed the country, saying Democrats had left the United States in a “dark age” while “we quickly turned it into the golden age of America”. Supporters cheered in the room, but some Republicans have voiced unease about Trump’s appeal to more moderate voters.
Polls point to Democratic gains in Congress
Polls suggest Democrats have a good chance of winning at least partial control of Congress. That outcome would act as a check on Trump’s power and could upend the last two years of his presidency. Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries said he was “very confident” his party was on course to win control of the House of Representatives, as senior Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, made final appeals to voters.
A forecasting tool from Harvard University, which analyses and compiles multiple polls and historical data, puts the chance of Democrats taking the House at 96% and the Senate at 76%. A national NBC News poll posted over the weekend found that registered voters preferred a Democrat-controlled Congress by a 7-point margin, with 52% backing that option against 45% for Republicans.
The weekend also brought a dramatic turn in the Michigan Senate race, a tightly contested seat currently held by Democrats. Haley Stevens, a sitting congresswoman who lost the Democratic Senate nomination to Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers on Sunday. Her move drew widespread condemnation from fellow Democrats and praise from Republicans, including Trump, who called her “very brave”.
Fraud claims and rising stakes ahead of the vote
In Alaska, another key Senate race, a judge on Sunday dismissed an attempt by the Trump administration to delay certifying election results if the Republican incumbent loses. The administration had sought the delay because two candidates on the ballot share the same name. Separately, Alaska’s governor has ordered a probe into the Democratic campaign’s alleged links to a candidate with the same name.
In the lead-up to the election, Trump and his administration have repeatedly cast doubt on the credibility and security of the vote. Trump has said US voter fraud is “rampant”, but evidence suggests it is extremely rare. The justice department has launched investigations or demanded that votes be set aside in multiple states.
The stakes are high for Trump, because midterm results are widely seen as a measure of how satisfied Americans are with a president’s performance. In most midterm elections, the party holding the White House typically loses seats in Congress, which leaves Trump’s Republicans with the most to lose. Republicans currently hold a slim majority in both chambers and want to keep it, since losing seats would hinder their ability to pass laws and shape policy.
Democrats are keen to win control, which would let them challenge Trump’s agenda, gain investigative powers over his administration and showcase their vision ahead of the 2028 presidential election. Who wins at the city, state and federal levels will shape many everyday issues, including the cost of gas, inflation, grocery prices, healthcare, abortion access, taxes and immigration.
