Polls show GOP in trouble as costs rise

American consumers are paying record prices for fuel and goods just days before the midterm election.

The price spike follows a joint American-Israeli strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader. Gas prices have hit a record high for this time of year. The New York Fed confirmed that tariffs drove inflation higher. The Fed found that goods prices would have fallen without those measures.

President Donald Trump campaigned in Mississippi this week to support Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. The state gave Trump 61% of the vote in 2024. It has not elected a Democratic senator in decades. Trump said he was there to make sure his candidate did not lose. “I’m here because Cindy’s doing great, but I just got to make sure. I can’t take a chance,” he said.

Polling averages from RealClearPolitics show 60% of Americans believe the country is heading in the wrong direction. Trump’s approval rating sits around 40%. Republicans are expected to lose the House. The Georgia Senate seat is no longer considered a likely flip for Democrats. Seats in Texas, Iowa, Maine, Alaska, Ohio, and Kansas appear vulnerable for Republican incumbents.

The administration has taken an equity stake in at least 40 American companies. This move contrasts with the party’s criticism of Democratic fiscal policies. Sen. John Husted of Ohio introduced legislation to limit the government's equity stakes to eight years.

Former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, along with media figures Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, have broken with Trump over the Iran conflict. The war has raised the cost of living and challenged the promise to avoid new long-term conflicts. Trump has also focused on renaming various geographic and governmental entities, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Department of Defense, while polls identify affordability as the top issue.

The administration faces pressure from voters who are skeptical Republicans can stop rising costs. Trump has scheduled campaign stops in Texas, Montana, Iowa, Alaska, Ohio, and Kansas to shore up support in these states.