US Midterm Elections Seen as Test of Trump's Power Over Final Two Years of Term

Americans voted Tuesday in midterm elections widely viewed as a referendum on President Donald Trump's second term, with Democrats hoping to win control of Congress and limit his power. The party holding the White House typically loses congressional seats at midterms, and Democrats are trying to capitalize on Trump's falling popularity. The Washington Examiner reported that Democrats are projected to win the House by a wide margin and compete to flip the Senate. A Civiqs report cited by Talking Points Memo found Trump had net positive approval in only eight states last month and was underwater in 42. Gallup data showed him above 50% approval in 17 states in 2018. Trump's net approval in Ohio went from break-even in 2018 to negative 19, and in Alaska from plus 16 to minus 11. Separately, the Justice Department in California charged six more people with alleged voter fraud crimes, and the Supreme Court ruled against efforts to make California officials segregate and not count ballots from people the department claims are non-citizens.

The left-leaning outlets, The Guardian US and Talking Points Memo, focus on Trump's weakness. The Guardian leads with Democratic hopes of reining in the president, Republican worries in New Hampshire that Trump is dragging them down, and the Supreme Court ruling as a blow to him. Talking Points Memo argues that abandoning norms and guardrails hurt Trump, using state-by-state approval figures. The right-leaning Washington Examiner instead asks how Trump will act as a potential lame duck. It quotes an unnamed Republican strategist saying the party will still revolve around him, and White House spokesman Davis Ingle calling him the party's unequivocal leader. Both sides treat the vote as a referendum on Trump and expect Democratic gains. They differ in emphasis: the left stresses unpopularity and limits on his power, while the right stresses his lasting influence over the GOP. Alternative and independent outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left- and right-leaning outlets had.