Trump Faces Growing Republican Unease as Midterm Vote Nears

In brief

• Republicans increasingly blame Trump for the party's troubles before Tuesday's midterm elections, mostly in private.
• The discontent focuses on the war with Iran, but also on tariffs and mass deportations, which have drawn public opposition.
• Trump says his rallies help Republicans and that he would veto Democratic bills if they take Congress.

Private frustration inside the party

Republicans are increasingly pinning their difficulties on Donald Trump, according to people involved in the campaigns, including about a dozen candidates, campaign staff and lawmakers. Most of the criticism is still made behind closed doors. One party activist asked whether the party should keep following a path of defeats. ("Wszyscy wiemy, kto jest problemem". Wśród Republikanów narasta gniew wobec Trumpa – Onet)

The discontent centers on the war with Iran, which many Republicans say has hurt the party's standing with voters, as well as on tariffs and a mass deportation program that have also drawn public opposition. One House Republican recalled a moment earlier this year when the party believed it could defy the usual pattern of losses by the president's party in midterm years, and said the bombing of Iran changed that. (Donald Trump kontra własna partia? Wrze przed wyborami do Kongresu USA – RMF24)

Trump's own assessment

Trump, speaking on the Pod Force One podcast, argued that his campaigning is helping Republicans and pointed to large crowds at his rallies. He noted that presidents of both parties have historically struggled in midterm elections, and said he had never been as involved in a midterm campaign as he is now. (Trump grozi, że zostanie "panem weto". Republikanie boją się porażki w wyborach. – Polsat News) (Wrze przed wyborami do Kongresu USA. Donald Trump zapowiada, co zrobi w razie porażki – Onet)

(Trump o wyborach do Kongresu. "Zostanę panem weto" – Wirtualna Polska)

Trump also said that if Democrats take control of Congress, he would veto their bills until the two sides reach agreement, saying he would become a "veto king." (Trump: jeśli do tego dojdzie, zostanę "panem weto" – TVN24)

Contingency planning in the White House

According to officials cited by Reuters, senior White House staff, including deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, have spent months developing a strategy that would allow Trump to keep advancing legislation without Congress's approval. White House legal counsel Will Scharf and his team are reportedly examining what the president could lawfully do on his own and how such decisions could be defended in court. (Trump już szykuje się na wyborczą porażkę. Jego ludzie po cichu opracowują plan awaryjny – Onet)

What comes next

The vote takes place on Tuesday, and the outcome will determine whether Republicans keep control of Congress or whether Trump faces a Democratic majority with the power to block his agenda.