Why Republicans Are Panicking About 2026

Aaron Blake: “Trump’s approval numbers appear worse than any modern president heading into a midterm — with voters seemingly feeling more itchy to vote against him than they did against George W. Bush in 2006. And both the Iran war and inflation appear to be massive liabilities that are blocking out other issues.”

“Democrats’ advantage on the so-called generic ballot isn’t as lopsided as it was in 2006, but it’s trending toward double digits, which historically suggests we’re headed for a significant rout.”

“And that gets at what’s particularly troublesome for Republicans right now: the trend. Things haven’t looked good for the GOP for a while, but they appear to be getting worse. And there’s little reason to believe that will change.”