Midterms Test Trump and Control of Congress

The article explains how the US midterm elections work and why they matter for President Donald Trump’s remaining time in office. Scheduled for 3 November, the elections determine all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats, as well as many state-level offices. Congress makes federal laws, and which party controls its two chambers affects how readily a president can advance legislation. Midterms are also widely treated as a measure of public satisfaction with the president. The article identifies the economy, immigration and artificial intelligence regulation as major issues. Voters are concerned about the costs of fuel, groceries, housing and healthcare. The article attributes inflation partly to the war involving the US, Israel and Iran, while Democrats also blame Trump’s tariffs for increasing prices. Republicans point to Trump’s border policies and immigration crackdown as fulfillment of a campaign pledge. Politicians from both parties support some AI regulation, in contrast to Trump’s opposition to laws restricting its development. Republicans currently control both chambers, but their majorities are narrow. Democrats would gain the ability to advance their own legislation if they take control of either chamber. Polling cited in the article shows Trump’s approval falling from just over 50% at the start of his second term to about 37% in early October, with 61% disapproving. However, many congressional seats are not competitive, and the outcome is made less predictable by partisan efforts to redraw House voting districts. The article notes closely watched Senate and House races, including contests in Iowa and other states. A Democratic victory in either chamber could stall Trump’s domestic agenda and enable congressional investigations into matters including corruption allegations, the proposed White House ballroom and ICE tactics. It could also renew debate among Democrats about impeachment. If Republicans retain control, Trump would have a clearer path to pursue his plans. Although Trump is not on the ballot and cannot seek a third presidential term, the results are likely to shape interpretations of public opinion and speculation about the parties’ 2028 presidential nominees.

NPR’s Up First briefing covers the approaching U.S. midterm elections, a major Hollywood merger, the failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee, and concerns in Russia after a laboratory worker died from an unexplained illness. Recent polls give Democrats an advantage: they are favored to win a narrow House majority, while several Senate races have shifted in their direction. Cook Political Report forecasts Democrats could gain five to 15 House seats, though NPR’s Domenico Montanaro cautions that polls are only one factor. The national political environment, district geography, party popularity, campaign spending and voter turnout also matter. The briefing notes that Democratic House gains remain uncertain. The anticipated $111 billion Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery merger has cleared legal and regulatory hurdles and is expected to close. David Ellison has promised annual film production targets and an independent oversight board intended to protect CNN from political interference. Critics remain concerned about concentrated media power, CNN’s future, potential streaming price increases and reduced consumer choice. The article also describes media witness Catherine Sweeney’s account of Tennessee’s failed attempt to execute Christa Pike. Pike’s attorneys had sought an alternative method, arguing that her platelet disorder and small veins could make lethal injection painful or ineffective. Separately, Russian authorities urged calm after a 28-year-old worker at an anti-plague research institute in Irkutsk became ill and died; the cause was still unknown. A longer election report previews Morning Edition’s reporting from six competitive states. Correspondents will explore voters’ concerns about living costs, immigration, data centers, voting rules and the effects of Trump administration policies. Their questions vary by state, including the impact of deportation and economic policy in Ohio, shifting political loyalties in Michigan, the Senate contest in Maine, and redistricting and Latino voters in Texas. The provided article ends mid-quotation in the Texas section.

President Donald Trump encouraged supporters to vote by mail in the upcoming U.S. congressional midterm elections, despite having repeatedly described mail-in voting as vulnerable to fraud. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday before traveling to a rally in Nebraska, Trump said voters could choose either mail-in or in-person voting, while noting that he preferred voting in person. His remarks followed a weekend campaign video in which he urged Republicans to vote early, by mail, or in person on Election Day, November 3. The article says it was unclear why Trump had changed his approach. He has continued to make false claims that fraud, including fraud involving mail ballots, caused his 2020 election defeat. His administration had also sought to tighten mail-voting rules before the midterms, but the Supreme Court declined in September to let the Postal Service enforce the new rules. Some Republicans have worried that discouraging mail voting could suppress turnout among conservative rural voters, many of whom live far from polling stations. The shift comes as Republicans face a difficult political climate in the final weeks of the campaign. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found Trump’s approval rating at 32%, matching its record low from September. Registered voters favored Democrats over Republicans, 44% to 37%, when asked which party they would support in the midterms. Among independent voters, Democrats led 37% to 21%, while 28% were undecided.

NPR’s Morning Edition is traveling to Maine, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio and Michigan in the weeks before the 2026 midterm elections to learn what is influencing voters. The races in these states could help determine control of Congress and offer a view of a changing electorate. A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found registered voters favoring Democrats for Congress by 12 percentage points. It also found that more voters say their congressional vote is against President Trump than in support of him. Across party lines, the cost of living and economic prospects are prominent concerns, shaped by issues that extend beyond local communities, including the Iran war’s effect on fuel prices and tariffs’ effect on consumer costs. Immigration, data centers, voting rules and party loyalty are also part of the discussion. Steve Inskeep will report from North Carolina and Georgia, where open or competitive races and redrawn districts make the states important tests of political sentiment. He plans to hear from voters who feel personally affected by the Trump administration’s actions. Michel Martin will visit Ohio and Michigan. In Ohio, she will examine economic anxiety, competitive statewide contests and the effects of ending temporary protected status for Haitians in Springfield. In Michigan, she will explore whether shifts in voting—including Trump’s narrow 2024 win, anger over the Gaza war among some Arab American voters, and increased youth turnout—will carry into this year’s races, and how younger and Black voters fit into the Democratic coalition. Leila Fadel will cover Maine, where Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson. The state’s Canadian border makes trade and tariffs especially relevant, alongside immigration and questions about whether voters remain loyal to their parties. A Martínez will report from Texas, where Republicans are testing whether recent gains among Latino voters will endure. The Senate contest is part of the national fight for chamber control, while the redrawing of five congressional districts to favor Republicans—including three with more Latino voters—raises questions about the GOP’s strategy. The reporting will begin in Maine on Oct. 6, continue in Texas on Oct. 13, and then move to North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio and Michigan. NPR says the series will ask what matters to voters, what has changed and where the country may be headed.