Trump stumps for Republicans ahead of midterms

Trump stumps for Republicans ahead of midterms

US President Donald Trump is touring the country in a bid to rally support for Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

Trump gave a speech in the southern state of Georgia on Friday.

On the military operations against Iran, he claimed the country had a big navy but "within three days, it went from 159 ships that were floating to 159 ships that were at the bottom of the sea."

He also blamed the former administration of President Joe Biden for causing "the highest inflation in American history."

The midterm elections are seen as a gauge of public opinion about the administration. Polls show Trump's approval ratings have been falling.

US political information website RealClearPolitics says the average approval rating for Trump's performance stood at 38.7 percent as of Friday.

That is much lower than the over 50 percent immediately after he was sworn in, in January 2025.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Democrats are "working to capitalize on Trump's weak approval ratings and economic concerns in the wake of the war in Iran" and they "have expanded their target map into more Republican-leaning territory."

The newspaper said the move has "forced Republicans to pour in massive sums to defend traditionally safe red seats."