Hard to rely on polls, but the trend does seem like it is going in Dem’s direction - definitely to take the Congress in the Midterms. Strong disapprovals for T and economic woes brought on by tariffs may swing more for the Dems.
Three months out, President Trump and his Republican Party face grim prospects in midterm elections – with good reasons to fear they’ll get grimmer.
Strategists in both parties now consider Democrats likely to gain the 23 seats they need to reclaim a majority in the House of Representatives. That would let Democrats roadblock Trump’s legislative agenda, launch oversight investigations and explore impeachment proceedings.
The Senate outlook remains in greater doubt as the parties wage even-money battles in eight states, most of them Trump-friendly. But no one dismisses Democrats’ opportunity to gain the two seats they need for control, which would give them veto power over White House appointments to the Cabinet and courts.
The challenge for Republicans starts with history. Midterm elections have always given voice to Americans’ discontent with incumbent presidents, which means the opposition party almost invariably gains ground.
The challenge deepens with the unique contours of Trump’s presidency. The 54 percent of Americans who disapprove of his job performance in this week’s Gallup poll exceeds the disapproval at a similar point for any of the previous six presidents, beginning with Jimmy Carter.
