Trump Says Midterms Won't Sway Iran War as Support Sits at 36%
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 2
Trump Says Midterms Won't Sway Iran War as Support Sits at 36%
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Sep 2
Summary
Sept. 2 remarks from Trump cast the November midterms as irrelevant to his Iran strategy, with the president saying he can wait as long as needed for Tehran to yield to U.S. economic pressure.
His argument rests on personal political distance from the ballot — "I'm not running," he told reporters — even as he said he would campaign for Republicans.
36% of Americans support the Iran war in a Reuters/Ipsos poll, and war-driven gasoline prices have become a political risk for Republicans trying to hold the House and Senate.
Next week's Republican midterm convention in Dallas will test Trump's effort to energize voters while he also argues anger in the GOP base is directed at congressional leaders, not him.
The comments extend a line Trump has repeated since May, even as Democrats hold a generic-ballot edge and lead in several competitive Senate races.