One hundred days before the US midterm elections, President Donald Trump’s Republicans are staring down polling that points to the loss of the House of Representatives and a ferocious battle to retain the Senate.
Trump will not appear on the ballot on November 3, but the stakes for his presidency could hardly be higher.
A Democratic House would give the party control of powerful committees and subpoena authority, likely subjecting Trump’s administration to two years of investigations and potentially exposing him to a third impeachment drive.
Republicans enter the final stretch with a historically narrow House majority, weak presidential approval ratings, and an electorate increasingly unhappy about living costs and the grinding war with Iran.
US elections website Decision Desk HQ predicts that the Democratic Party has a 59% chance of winning the House, forecasting a 224-211 majority.
Gasoline prices have climbed above $4 a gallon as the Iran war disrupts energy markets, inflation remains elevated, and interest rates are high.
Polling cited by Democrats suggests voters now trust them more than Republicans on inflation, health care, and even immigration, long considered a Republican strength.
“Donald Trump and Republicans have failed the American people,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday, announcing an affordability campaign built around groceries, gasoline, housing, and health care.