By Camilo Diniz
U.S. President Donald Trump makes his last play before the midterm elections. On Monday (Nov. 2), he is delivering a speech at the Reflecting Pool of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, his closing message before Tuesday's (Nov. 3) vote for Congress. The goal is simple: mobilize Republican voters and keep the party's majority in both chambers of Congress.
A campaign marathon of 28 events
The Washington rally is Trump's last major public appearance before voting day. The day before, on Sunday (Nov. 1), he wrapped up a sequence of 28 campaign events in Salina, Kansas, the final in-person stop of the electoral marathon.
In front of supporters, the president asked voters to go to the polls and treat the race as if he himself were on the ballot. Trump also acknowledged the difficult tradition facing his side: the party that holds the White House usually loses seats in Congress in midterm elections.
Why it matters: what is at stake in Congress
Midterm elections are held halfway through a president's four-year term and renew the entire House of Representatives and part of the Senate. Republicans currently control both chambers by a narrow margin. To win a majority in the House, a party needs 218 seats. Those elected will take office in January 2027, at the start of the 120th Congress.
The result could determine how much room the administration has to advance its agenda until January 2029. If Democrats take back either chamber, resistance to the government is likely to grow, as is oversight of the Executive's decisions.
The polls: a tough final stretch
The home stretch is playing out under pressure. An NBC News poll released Sunday showed 40% approving of the president's performance and 60% disapproving. According to the source, it is the highest disapproval rating the network has recorded across both of Trump's terms in office.
The same survey found that 52% of respondents prefer Democrats in charge of Congress, against 45% who chose Republicans.
Dissatisfaction over the cost of living, the handling of the economy, trade tariffs and the effects of the war against Iran weighs on the White House. In 2024, Trump built part of his presidential campaign on the promise of lowering prices and improving economic conditions for Americans.
Trump is not running for office in this election, but he could feel the direct impact of the result. Tuesday's vote will show whether the last-minute mobilization, with the campaign crisscrossing the country, can overcome the polls and the historical tradition working against the president's party. The world will be watching the vote count.
VDD Analysis
Trump did what right-wing leaders usually do when the outlook is difficult: he took to the streets, spoke directly to his base and turned the midterm vote into a referendum on his project. The poll numbers and the weight of the cost of living are real challenges, but polls do not vote, and the decision belongs to the voters who show up. Once again, mobilization of the conservative base will be the decisive factor.
