Trump Says ‘I Don't Care About the Midterms' Over Iran War-What Polls Show
President Donald Trump said he does not care about the midterms in his negotiations to end the Iran war during a meeting with members of his Cabinet on Wednesday, as polls show the conflict could pose a political liability for Republicans in November.
Trump's remarks arrive as polling shows Americans increasingly uneasy about the war in Iran and its economic impact. Slipping support for Trump amid the conflict could dampen turnout and complicate efforts to defend vulnerable seats for Republicans as Democrats make opposition to the war central to their midterm message.
Trump Downplays Midterms in Iran War Negotiations
During the Cabinet meeting, he discussed the midterms in the context of negotiations to end the Iran war, denying that he would rush to reach a deal over the upcoming elections. He said Iran is “negotiating on fumes” and do not “have a choice” but to make a deal.
"They thought they were going to outwait me. ‘We'll outwait him. He's got the midterms,'" Trump said. "I don't care about the midterms. Look at what happened last night. That was a prelude to the midterms."
On Tuesday, Trump scored a big victory in the Texas Republican Senate runoff, with his endorsed candidate, state Attorney General Ken Paxton, defeating longtime Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn. Paxton's win is a sign that Trump remains influential over Republican primary voters, despite his waning national approval rating.
A video of his comments on X was viewed nearly 200,000 times Wednesday afternoon. John Favreau, who worked for former President Barack Obama, responded, "Yeah, we can see that!" Aaron Fritschner, who works for Democratic Representative Don Beyer, wrote that it is a "fun quote."
Iran War Upends Midterms
Polling has found that most Americans are opposed to the war in Iran. A recent Fox News and Beacon Research poll, which surveyed 1,002 registered voters from May 15-18, found that 60 percent of Americans oppose the war, while 40 percent back it.
Support has fallen since late April, when the pollster found that 55 percent were in opposition and 45 percent in support.
A Quinnipiac University poll similarly found support is low, with 38 percent in favor of U.S. military action in Iran, and 56 percent against it. It surveyed 1,106 registered voters from May 14-18 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
The war has also created economic concerns that could weaken Republicans-namely the high gas prices triggered by disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz.
Roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day, about one‑fifth of global petroleum consumption, normally pass through the strait, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. Its closure amid the war has put additional pressure on global oil markets, leading to higher prices in the U.S. and globally.
Gas prices averaged $4.459 per gallon on Wednesday, down slightly from $4.555 one week earlier but up from $4.111 a month earlier and $3.174 a year earlier, according to AAA. Americans are feeling pain at the pump, and Democrats believe that could cost Republicans at the ballot box in November.
Democrats are using gas prices as a cornerstone of their messaging.
"Groceries cost too much, gas prices are draining wallets and healthcare bills are impossible to pay. Isn't it time we put everyday Americans first?" House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, wrote to X on Wednesday.
Democrats vs. Republicans: Chances of Winning the House
Polls give Democrats an advantage to retake the House of Representatives, where every seat is up for grabs in November. Control of the House will likely be determined by economic issues including inflation, gas prices and the cost of living.
Republicans are seeking to turn the midterm into a referendum on Democrats, who do remain broadly unpopular in polling. But generic ballot polling has not necessarily reflected their unpopularity, as Republicans continue to trail in head-to-head matchups against Democrats.
The latest poll from YouGov and The Economist gave Democrats a 5-point lead, with 46 percent versus Republicans' 41 percent support. It surveyed 1,520 adults from May 22-26 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
A poll from Cygnal found Democrats up 7 points, with 48 percent support compared to Republicans' 41 percent. It surveyed 1,500 Americans from May 4-7 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.53 percentage points.
A recent poll from The New York Times, considered among the most accurate pollsters, gave Democrats a double-digit lead on the generic ballot. Fifty percent of respondents said they would vote for a Democratic candidate, compared to 39 percent who said they would vote for a Republican.
Redistricting has also shaped the battle for a House majority, with several states redrawing their congressional boundaries ahead of November and after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act.
Democrats are likely to net seats in California and Utah, while Republicans could pick up seats in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
That could limit the size of Democrats' majority if they end up suffering substantial losses due to redistricting, but Democrats are still viewed as the favorites to pick up control of the House in November in prediction markets, having an 81 percent chance of flipping it on Polymarket and a 77 percent chance on Kalshi as of Wednesday afternoon.
Prediction markets allow traders to buy and sell contracts tied to political outcomes and current events, aggregating real‑money wagers into probability estimates.
Prices fluctuate as traders react to polling, fundraising, candidate developments and broader political trends. They measure trader sentiment at a given moment but do not always accurately predict the future.
Democrats vs. Republicans: Chances of Winning the Senate
Republicans are in a stronger position in the Senate due to a particularly difficult map this year. Despite a generic ballot deficit, Republicans have a 53 percent chance of holding onto Senate control on Polymarket and a 54 percent chance on Kalshi.
This is because there are few GOP-held seats in competitive states up for grabs in November, while Democrats have to defend seats in Trump-won Georgia and Michigan.
Democrats view the open seat held by retiring Senator Thom Tillis in North Carolina and the one by Senator Susan Collins in Maine as their best pickup opportunities, and polls do show close races in both of those states.
There are no other seats up for grabs that were either won by Trump in single digits or by former Vice President Kamala Harris, so Democrats must target more conservative states like Alaska, Iowa, Ohio and Texas to flip additional seats to clinch the majority. Polls suggest those races could also be competitive. Here is a look at where key races in GOP-held seats stand in Race to the WH's polling average.
Alaska
- Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican: 44.5 percent
- Former Representative Mary Peltola, a Democrat: 48.1 percent
Iowa
- Representative Ashley Hinson, a Republican: 44.7 percent
- Iowa Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, a Democrat: 45.1 percent
- Representative Ashley Hinson, a Republican: 45.5 percent
- State Representative Josh Turek, a Democrat: 44.9 percent
Maine
- Senator Susan Collins, a Republican: 41.7 percent
- Graham Platner, a Democrat: 47.8 percent
North Carolina
- Former Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat: 48.9 percent
- Michael Whatley, a Republican: 39.6 percent
Ohio
- Senator Jon Husted, a Republican: 48.5 percent
- Former Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat: 46.4 percent
Texas
- Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican: 40.9 percent
- State Representative James Talarico, a Democrat: 43.9 percent
What Is Donald Trump's Approval Rating?
Trump's approval rating will be key for the midterms, and polls have shown his popularity has declined since he returned to office in January 2025 amid growing economic concerns.
The YouGov poll found that 59 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump, while 34 percent approve of him. The Times found that 59 percent disapproved and 37 percent approved of the president's job performance.
A recent Verasight poll, conducted May 18-19, found that 37 percent of Americans approve of Trump while 60 percent disapproved.
CNN data analyst Harry Enten said last week that voters who didn't cast a ballot in 2024 could "reshape the midterms."
"Trump’s net approval with them is down 54 pt since Nov 2024 to -50 pt now! A lot (48%) of these non-2024 voters say they’re at least very likely to vote in 2026 & they favor Dems by 31 pt," he wrote in a post to X.
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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM.