Poll Finds Trump Faces Steep Challenge In Shifting Voters Before Midterms

A new POLITICO survey suggests ending the Iran war or lowering gasoline prices may do little to improve Republican prospects as voters remain skeptical of last-minute economic and foreign policy breakthroughs.

WASHINGTON (AP) | President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans face a narrowing path to changing voters' minds ahead of November's midterm elections, with a new POLITICO poll finding that even major achievements on the economy and the war with Iran may not significantly improve the party's electoral prospects.

The survey, conducted by independent polling firm PF Global, suggests that voter attitudes toward Trump and the Republican Party have hardened as the campaign enters its final weeks. Most respondents said they would not become more likely to support Republican candidates even if the administration ended the Iran war, sharply reduced gasoline prices or delivered substantial job growth.

The findings raise questions about whether the White House can translate potential policy victories into electoral gains before November, particularly among undecided voters who could determine control of Congress.

According to the survey, just 29% of Americans said a $1-per-gallon decline in gasoline prices would make them more likely to vote Republican. Another 28% said ending the war with Iran would increase their likelihood of supporting GOP candidates.

The results were especially troubling for Republicans among Democratic and undecided voters, who showed little movement across several hypothetical scenarios involving economic improvements and foreign policy accomplishments.

Republican Ads Attack El-Sayed for Past Comments, Positions on Policing and Prisons

Multiple ads airing in Michigan attack Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed for past statements he made, or positions he held, about policing and prisons. But the ads either omit context or exaggerate his past policy proposals.

El-Sayed and his campaign have said he is not pushing to “defund the police,” as the ads claim or suggest. He spoke and posted in 2020 about wanting to reallocate some police funding to other community services, but has campaigned in the 2026 midterms on investing in “recruitment and retention and retirement” for law enforcement.

In addition, he never “called for abolishing prisons,” as one ad says. The claim is based on his participation in a 2020 webinar in which he said there was a need to reduce Michigan’s prison population during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Misleading GOP Attacks Over Taxes on Tips, Overtime, Social Security

In congressional races around the country, Democrats find themselves under attack in political ads for allegedly opposing the popular tax cuts for tips, overtime and older Americans that were part of Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

While the ads warn that the Democratic candidates opposed or would do away with those tax cuts, many of the candidates themselves say they support those particular provisions.

Not a single Democrat in either the House or Senate voted in favor of the OBBBA, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025. And the law did cut — though didn’t completely eliminate — taxes on tips, overtime pay and Social Security through 2028.

Those provisions enjoy bipartisan public support. 

But many of the candidates facing these attacks say they voted against the OBBBA for other reasons — chiefly that overall tax cuts were skewed to the wealthy, and that it cut funding to Medicaid and reduced spending on federal food benefits. Many Democrats say they aren’t opposed to the bill’s tax cuts for tips, overtime and older Americans. Some have even said they would work to make them permanent.

Even before the OBBBA was being considered, then Vice President Kamala Harris said in August 2024 that she supported the elimination of taxes on tips for hospitality and service workers.

The Context for Trump’s ‘Take Out’ Los Angeles, San Diego Remarks

President Donald Trump’s remarks about the possibility that Iran could “take out” Los Angeles and San Diego have sparked a firestorm of criticism, with Democrats claiming the president was either calling for a foreign adversary to attack the U.S. or portraying the destruction of two major cities as acceptable collateral damage. 

But given the full context — as well as Trump’s numerous past comments on this issue and the White House’s later clarification — that’s not our reading of the president’s comments. While his wording is confusing, a more plausible interpretation is that he meant the war would prevent Iran from posing a threat to U.S. cities, and higher gas prices are a small sacrifice to make. He’s made versions of those points before, using similar language.

“Remember, with the war, it’s just artificial. It’s a little bit high,” he said, apparently referencing gas prices. “It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They could take out a city. Let them take — let it — let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego. 

President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in front of a crowd

Trump speaks at a rally in Nebraska on Oct. 5.

“That’s — this is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon,” he continued. “It’s essentially almost over with.”

The speech quickly drew outraged responses from Democrats in California and nationally. 

Trump Touts Medicaid Drug Savings, But Details Remain Murky

President Donald Trump and other federal officials are claiming that deals the administration has struck with pharmaceutical companies are “rescuing state budgets” or helping to “save Medicaid” by saving the program tens of billions of dollars on prescription drugs over a decade.

But experts say there are many unanswered questions about the scope of those deals that could limit the potential savings, including how many drugs they actually cover.

It’s also an exaggeration to suggest this program will single-handedly save state budgets, even under the rosiest of scenarios. According to the White House’s projections, the savings to states would initially come to less than 2% of what they spend on Medicaid annually, and diminish over time.

Trump has talked regularly about his efforts to lower prescription drug costs, arguing it’s unfair that the U.S. pays much higher prices for brand-name drugs than other wealthy countries. 

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Declares State of Emergency in 40 Counties as Tropical Storm

Emergency declaration activates disaster preparations, anti-price-gouging protections and emergency transportation measures ahead of potentially dangerous weather Friday.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has declared a state of emergency in 40 counties as Tropical Storm Isaias threatens to bring damaging winds, flooding and potentially hurricane conditions to portions of the state beginning Friday evening.

The emergency declaration, signed Wednesday, Oct. 7, took effect at 4 p.m. Central and authorizes state agencies to mobilize resources, coordinate emergency response operations and prepare for potentially widespread disruptions to communities and essential services.

The proclamation remains in effect through 11:59 p.m. Oct. 14 unless extended or terminated earlier.

“At this moment, forecasts continue to show the real likelihood that the tropical system brewing in the Gulf could impact Alabama as a hurricane as early as Friday,” Ivey said in a statement.

The governor urged residents to monitor weather forecasts, reconsider travel plans when necessary and prepare for deteriorating conditions ahead of the weekend.

The National Weather Service forecasts cited in the proclamation indicate that coastal and central Alabama could experience strong winds, flooding and possible tornadoes beginning Friday evening, Oct. 9.

Officials warned that the storm could threaten public safety, damage private property and disrupt essential utilities.