{"id":545319,"date":"2026-03-26T00:10:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T00:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/545319\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T00:10:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T00:10:17","slug":"warning-signs-flash-red-for-republicans-ahead-of-midterm-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/545319\/","title":{"rendered":"Warning signs flash red for Republicans ahead of midterm elections"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Political warning signs that have privately worried some Republicans for months are starting to flash red ahead of November\u2019s midterm elections<\/a>, as the war in Iran keeps gas prices high<\/a>, travelers face unprecedented airport security wait times<\/a> and Americans remain concerned about steep costs of living<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The latest sign of trouble came Tuesday from President Donald Trump\u2019s own backyard as Democrat Emily Gregory won<\/a> a Florida special election to flip a state legislative district that encompasses his Mar-a-Lago estate<\/a> in Palm Beach. <\/p>\n

Against that backdrop, Trump worked to rally the GOP on Wednesday night when he addressed the National Republican Congressional Committee\u2019s annual fundraising dinner at Washington\u2019s Union Station.<\/p>\n

Before Trump even began speaking, House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled that the party is going to rise or fall with Trump in November, even presenting him with what he called \u201cthe very first America First award.\u201d<\/p>\n

The gathering comes as polling<\/a> shows most Americans believe the U.S. military action against Iran<\/a> has gone too far and voters are more and more worried about Trump\u2019s failure to address affordability issues. That, coupled with a weakening labor market and worries about renewed inflation, means Republicans could face a string of glaring liabilities as they try to maintain control of both the House and Senate. <\/p>\n

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican from Alaska, said her constituents are asking about the path forward in Iran and whether Trump will deploy troops there.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot that people want to know, so whether it\u2019s how it\u2019s being communicated in the media, or how it\u2019s being communicated here in the Congress, I think it\u2019s lacking right now,\u201d Murkowski said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"White<\/p>\n

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/p>\n

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/p>\n

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Trump suggests the Iran effect is a mere economic blip<\/p>\n

Trump has so far mostly responded by continuing to point to record-high stock markets and low gas prices that evaporated after the U.S. and Israel struck Iran on Feb. 28. He\u2019s also insisted that the current economic jolt will be temporary, and that he can bring the conflict to a close quickly \u2014 all of which defy the more complicated and nuanced political and economic realities<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Gas prices were $3.12 a gallon when Democratic President Joe Biden left office and were just under $3 before the U.S. and Israel launched the war in Iran. Today\u2019s average is $3.98, according to motorist group AAA. <\/p>\n

Higher prices at the pump tend to cascade through the economy, raising costs at the grocery store, in the service sector and in most other areas \u2014 meaning the worst of the political fallout might come in the months closer to Election Day. <\/p>\n

In the meantime, about 59% of Americans say U.S. military strikes in Iran have been excessive, while 45% are \u201cextremely\u201d or \u201cvery\u201d concerned about being able to afford gas in the next few months. That\u2019s according to a poll released Wednesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research<\/a>. <\/p>\n

That is up from 30% in an AP-NORC poll<\/a> conducted shortly after Trump won reelection with promises that he would improve the economy<\/a> and lower the cost of living.<\/p>\n

Inflation is expected to rise with the jump in gas prices and longer-term interest rates have risen<\/a>, pushing up the cost of mortgage loans<\/a>, auto loans and business borrowing. That comes as employers cut 92,000 jobs last month.<\/p>\n

In another political headache, the partial government shutdown has dragged on for five weeks, lately sparking chaos at some of the nation\u2019s top airports.<\/p>\n

The White House blames congressional Democrats who have blocked funding for the Department of Homeland Security as they press for restrictions on enhanced immigration enforcement<\/a> operations. But efforts to broker a deal have stalled, and his administration insists it won\u2019t back down on immigration. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe American people are tired of the chaos. They\u2019re tired of the excuses. And they\u2019re tired of watching Washington fail,\u201d said Rep. Mark Alford, a Missouri Republican who was among the party\u2019s lawmakers who held a news conference Tuesday at Washington\u2019s Ronald Reagan National Airport to blame Democrats for the shutdown.<\/p>\n

A Democrat win on Trump\u2019s home turf <\/p>\n

Democrats, though, are bullish about their chances in November. Historically, the president\u2019s party loses seats in the midterm elections, and Democrats feel there are stronger political headwinds at play for Trump this year considering the war in Iran and the shockwaves it sent through an economy many voters were already wary of. <\/p>\n

They got an extra boost Tuesday with Gregory\u2019s win in the solidly Republican district including Mar-a-Lago. While she will have to run again in November, when turnout will likely be far higher, its repercussions weren\u2019t lost on either party. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf Democrats can win in Trump\u2019s own backyard, we can win anywhere,\u201d said Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin.<\/p>\n

Through it all, Trump has suggested that the war in Iran is worth some short-term political jitters. <\/p>\n

\u201cI have to do what\u2019s right,\u201d Trump said recently aboard Air Force One. \u201cI can\u2019t say that \u2018Gee, I don\u2019t want to have any impact on oil prices for three or four weeks, or two months, and we\u2019re going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Some Republicans urge patience <\/p>\n

Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., said voters in his Long Island-based district are concerned about affordability and safety. But he also said that the war in Iran means \u201cthe president is right to think about America\u2019s long-term security.\u201d<\/p>\n

On whether Iran policy will be an anchor for Republicans, LaLota encouraged taking a wait-and-see approach leading up to November, and said any fallout could depend whether the U.S. has stopped Iran\u2019s nuclear ambitions and reopened the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this could be a thing that bolster conservatives\u2019 approach to national security,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, similarly said it was too early to jump to political conclusions. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re still at this stage in the war in the fall, then I\u2019ll talk to you about that,\u201d Hudson said. \u201cBut the president says it\u2019s going to be short, so I believe him. I think he did the right thing by doing what he did.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for higher gas prices, Hudson said, \u201cVoters are smart enough to know this is a temporary increase.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaker Johnson said he trusts Trump\u2019s assurances that Iran-related economic disruptions won\u2019t last: \u201cWe\u2019ll see how it shakes out, but our gameplan is exactly the same.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to go out and sell promises made, promises kept, our good record and we\u2019re excited about that campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Political warning signs that have privately worried some Republicans for months are starting to flash…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":545320,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[164749,23,1340,12,1070,243030,2808,793,801,228242,3319,166003,9289,129724,170164,13410,3,23122,111,15887,117064,8638,3438,21,26939,19,22,20,25,24,800],"class_list":["post-545319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-states","tag-2026-elections","tag-america","tag-congress","tag-donald-trump","tag-elections","tag-emily-gregory","tag-florida","tag-general-news","tag-iran","tag-iran-war","tag-joe-biden","tag-ken-martin","tag-lisa-murkowski","tag-mar-a-lago","tag-midterm-elections","tag-mike-johnson","tag-news","tag-nick-lalota","tag-politics","tag-public-opinion","tag-richard-hudson","tag-u-s-democratic-party","tag-u-s-republican-party","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-congress","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa","tag-washington-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=545319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/545319\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/545320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=545319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=545319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=545319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}