Poll finds Trump’s plan to make midterms about him may be backfiring as Democrats show greater motivation
A midterms push centered on Trump
Trump has campaigned across the country to encourage supporters to vote in the midterms. The effort comes amid his unpopular war in Iran and continued struggles with the cost of living.
At a rally in Georgia last week, Trump told supporters to act as though he was on the ballot. He said they received 49 percent more votes when he was a candidate.
Voters focus on different motivations
The poll found Democrats were more motivated to vote against Trump than Republicans were to vote in support of him. Republican strategist Doug Heye told Politico that Trump was motivating Democrats more than Republicans.
Republican candidates break ranks
Some Republican candidates have publicly disagreed with Trump on issues in their districts, while others have remained loyal to him. Florida Representative Maria Elvira Salazar said in a Miami ad that Trump’s immigration efforts had gone too far.
Key points
- Democratic voters are more motivated to vote against Trump than Republicans are to support him, the poll found.
- Nearly half of Republican voters said backing a local candidate was their main motivation for voting.
- Some Republican candidates have criticized Trump on immigration, tariffs and the Iran war.
- Half of Republican voters accepted that candidates should speak out against Trump if needed to win.