U.S. President Donald Trump is asking voters to treat the Nov. 3 congressional elections as a measure of his political appeal, as recent surveys show dissatisfaction with living costs and a Democratic lead in national congressional preferences.
At a Sept. 17 telerally for Virginia Republican candidates, Trump argued that his presence on ballots helped draw voters. He told supporters, “Pretend that I’m on the ballot,” according to the official transcript.
Responses in an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey showed a sharp divide over prices: 17% of 2,140 U.S. adults approved of Trump’s handling of living costs, while 82% disapproved. The poll ran Sept. 24-28 and had a 2.9-percentage-point margin of sampling error.
In a separate survey for CNN, SSRS asked 1,206 registered voters which party’s candidate they preferred for Congress in their district. The Democratic candidate received 49% support, compared with 39% for the Republican; the margin of sampling error was 3.3 percentage points. CNN also reported that 74% of Republicans approved of Trump, down from 88% in February 2025.
AP reported that roughly 40% of registered voters said their congressional choice would send a message against Trump, while about 20% viewed it as support for him. Michigan pollster Richard Czuba told AP, “He’s literally driving people who disagree with him to the Democratic side.”
Campaign spending is another part of the political backdrop. AP reported that MAGA Inc. had spent nearly $277 million since Sept. 1 to help Republicans and started that month with about $416 million in cash. Federal Election Commission records showed the committee had $164.29 million on hand as of Oct. 14.
House history records show that Democrats gained 41 seats and Republicans lost 42 in the 2018 midterms, when control of the chamber changed. Trump also made a similar appeal to Kansas voters in an Oct. 19 Truth Social message, covered in EconoTimes’ earlier report on his Kansas appeal.
The election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, will provide turnout data, but the results alone cannot establish whether Trump’s appeal or rallies changed participation.
