President Trump pledged Wednesday to campaign in all 35 competitive races he says will determine Republican control of Congress in the 2026 midterms, launching an aggressive final-month push despite his approval rating hovering near historic lows.
Speaking at a White House Rose Garden dinner with Republican lawmakers, Trump told the group he would spend the final 30 days before the November election traveling to each of the tightly contested races. “I’m going to go to every one of those 35 places, and we’re going to see if we can get everyone elected,” Trump said, according to The Hill.
Trump urged Republicans facing tight races to run on his White House record, telling lawmakers they had “successful stories to pass along to voters” and would “win, and you’re going to win big.” He specifically referenced Senate races in Alaska and Texas, where Republican candidates face competitive matchups.
The strategy reflects a central role Trump is playing in the Republican midterm effort, even as polling shows voters have grown dissatisfied with his job performance. Trump’s approval rating stands at 33 percent according to Reuters/Ipsos—his lowest rating between his two terms—with other recent surveys showing similarly weak numbers. According to Nate Silver’s polling tracker, Trump’s net approval rating is minus 19.5, and state-by-state data shows he remains underwater in every swing state, per reporting from the ALREADY_RETRIEVED sources in this pipeline.
The president’s low approval stems largely from voter concerns about his handling of the cost of living and the Iran war, which has driven energy prices higher and contributed to inflation pressures. Yet Trump argued Wednesday that Republicans had “no reason” to lose the midterms based on his performance. “I’m not affected by the election,” he told reporters. “Number one, I’m not running, but my party’s running, and I’m going to help my party.”
Historically, the president’s party faces steep odds in midterm elections. The entire House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats go before voters in November. Recent polling shows Democrats leading the generic congressional ballot by approximately 6 points, according to RealClearPolling, suggesting potential headwinds for Republicans seeking to hold their thin majorities in both chambers.
Trump’s campaign blitz aims to activate his political base in the final stretch. Earlier this year, he asked voters to “pretend” he was on the ballot to boost turnout for Republican candidates. The White House strategy, according to reporting, is to make the midterms a referendum on Trump’s record rather than allow them to become a traditional referendum on the party in power—a shift designed to counter the historical pattern of seat losses in midterm years.
Sources
- The Hill — Trump’s Wednesday Rose Garden dinner remarks urging Republicans to run on his record and his pledge to campaign in 35 races; Trump’s approval rating at 33 percent per Reuters/Ipsos and 32 percent per UMass Amherst; key factors in low approval (cost of living, Iran war).
- AP News — Confirmation of Trump’s 35-race campaign pledge and the final 30-day timeline; the scope of the 2026 elections (entire House, 35 Senate seats).
- Newsweek — Direct quote from Trump: “It’s all about 35 races. I’m going to go to every one of those 35 places.”
- RealClearPolling — Democrats lead generic congressional ballot by 5.7 points; Trump favorable/unfavorable at minus 15.0.
- Nate Silver — Trump’s net approval rating at minus 19.5 as of September 3, 2026.
- ALREADY_RETRIEVED sources — Trump’s approval underwater in every swing state; Democrats lead midterm polls by 6 points.
