Politics
Midterm elections test Trump's party amid falling approval and competitive races
Republicans control both chambers, and Democrats would need four Senate seats and at least three House seats to shift the balance.
The short version
- Final midterm votes on Tuesday will determine the balance of power in House and Senate races.[ABC News]
- Republicans hold 53 Senate seats and a 220-215 House edge, while Democrats need four Senate and at least three House seats to shift the balance.[ABC News]
- Trump's average approval has fallen from 52% in early 2025 to 37%, according to NPR.[NPR]
- Trump has proposed a $5,000 payment he calls the Trump Dividend if Republicans keep control, and he denies it is meant to boost turnout.[ABC News]
Key facts
- Trump's average approval fell from 52% in early 2025 to 37%, according to NPR.[NPR]
- Republicans hold 53 Senate seats, while Democrats hold 45 plus two independents who caucus with them.[ABC News]
- Democrats need four additional Senate seats to shift the balance of power.[ABC News]
- The House Republican caucus holds 220 seats to Democrats' 215, and Democrats need at least three more seats to shift the balance.[ABC News]
- An NPR analysis found Republicans netted an estimated eight-seat advantage from redistricting fights led by GOP-led state legislatures, with Trump pushing for them.[NPR]
- In an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, 44% said their finances stayed the same, 38% said they worsened, and 15% said they improved.[NPR]
- Trump announced at the GOP midterm convention on Sept. 9 a proposed $5,000 payment, called the Trump Dividend, if Republicans keep control of Congress.[ABC News]
What remains uncertain
- Election results are not yet known, and the source reporting was published before the final day of voting.[ABC News]
- Trump's denial that the $5,000 payment was meant to boost turnout, and his claim that economic growth would fund it, are his own assertions and are not verified in the reporting.[ABC News]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.