Trump promises 'bigger majorities' for GOP even as midterm warning signs
flash for his party
[March 26, 2026]
By WILL WEISSERT and JONATHAN J. COOPER
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump predicted Wednesday that his
party will have larger congressional majorities after November’s midterm
elections, even as political warning signs that have privately worried
some Republicans for months are starting to flash red.
While Trump said the U.S. “is winning so big” in the war in Iran, it is
keeping gas prices high, travelers are facing unprecedented airport
security wait times and Americans remain concerned about steep costs of
living.
The latest sign of trouble came this week from Trump's own backyard as
Democrat Emily Gregory won a Florida special election to flip a state
legislative district that encompasses his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm
Beach.
Against that backdrop, Trump worked to rally the GOP on Wednesday night
when he addressed the National Republican Congressional Committee's
annual fundraising dinner at Washington’s Union Station.
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 “the very first America First award.”
Trump acknowledged the long odds, repeatedly noting that incumbent
presidents almost always lose seats in Congress during the midterms,
“even if it's a successful presidency.” Still, he brushed off concerns,
saying he would campaign for every Republican candidate.
“From now until November, we’re going to fight,” he said. “We’ll have
bigger majorities in the House and Senate than we do today.”
The gathering comes as polling shows most Americans believe the U.S.
military action against Iran has gone too far and voters are more and
more worried about Trump's 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.
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.
“There’s a lot that people want to know, so whether it’s how it’s being
communicated in the media, or how it’s being communicated here in the
Congress, I think it’s lacking right now,” Murkowski said.
Trump suggests the Iran effect is a mere economic blip
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’s also insisted that the current
economic jolt will be temporary, and that he can bring the conflict to a
close quickly — all of which defy the more complicated and nuanced
political and economic realities.
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’s average is $3.98, according to motorist group AAA.
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 — meaning the worst of the political fallout might come in the
months closer to Election Day.
Trump has suggested the war is worth some short-term political jitters.
“I can’t say that ‘Gee, I don’t want to have any impact on oil prices
for three or four weeks, or two months, and we’re going to let Iran have
a nuclear weapon.’”
During his speech to Republicans Wednesday night, he acknowledged the
impact on the U.S. economy but said he felt the attack was necessary.
“We had to cut out the cancer," he said. "The cancer was Iran with a
nuclear weapon, and we’ve cut it out.”
In the meantime, about 59% of Americans say the U.S. military strikes in
Iran have been excessive, while 45% are “extremely” or “very” concerned
about being able to afford gas in the next few months. That's according
to a poll released Wednesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for
Public Affairs Research.
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President Donald Trump speaks at the National Republican
Congressional Committee's (NRCC) annual fundraising dinner,
Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at Union Station in Washington. (AP
Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
That is up from 30% in an AP-NORC poll conducted shortly after Trump
won reelection with promises that he would improve the economy and
lower the cost of living.
Inflation is expected to rise with the jump in gas prices and
longer-term interest rates have risen, pushing up the cost of
mortgage loans, auto loans and business borrowing. That comes as
employers cut 92,000 jobs last month.
Trump blamed Americans' sour opinion of the war on media coverage
that doesn't echo his claim that Iran has been militarily destroyed.
Iran has maintained its ability to strike targets in the region and
effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, snarling the global oil
trade. Meanwhile, some of Trump's own war objectives remain
undefined or unfulfilled.
“You know, if you listen to the news, you think we’re losing a war
in Iran where we’re decimating the other side,” Trump said.
Airports feel brunt of effects from Homeland Security funding
impasse
In another political headache, the partial government shutdown has
dragged on for five weeks, lately sparking chaos at some of the
nation's top airports.
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 operations. But
efforts to broker a deal have stalled, and his administration
insists it won't back down on immigration.
“The American people are tired of the chaos. They’re tired of the
excuses. And they’re tired of watching Washington fail,” said Rep.
Mark Alford, a Missouri Republican who was among the party’s
lawmakers who held a news conference Tuesday at Washington’s Ronald
Reagan National Airport to blame Democrats for the shutdown.
Trump didn't directly address the status of negotiations to fund the
department but also laid the blame on Democrats for an impasse that
has forced airport security and other employees to work without
paychecks: “They don't want to settle. They want chaos.”
Some Republicans urge patience
Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., said voters in his Long Island-based
district are concerned about affordability and safety. But he also
said the war in Iran means “the president is right to think about
America’s long-term security.”
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’s nuclear ambitions and reopened the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think this could be a thing that bolster conservatives’ approach
to national security,” he said.
Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional
Committee, similarly said it was too early to jump to political
conclusions.
“If we’re still at this stage in the war in the fall, then I’ll talk
to you about that,” Hudson said. “But the president says it’s going
to be short, so I believe him. I think he did the right thing by
doing what he did.”
As for higher gas prices, Hudson said, “Voters are smart enough to
know this is a temporary increase.”
Speaker Johnson he said he trusts Trump's assurances that
Iran-related economic disruptions won't last. He said Wednesday’s
dinner raised $37 million, bolstering record fundraising for the
House Republican campaign committee. Trump echoed that theme,
shouting out some of the GOP's top House candidates and boasting
about the money raised. He said Republicans have a “hot party.”
“I think we’re going to have a great election," Trump said.
___
Cooper reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Kevin Freking
and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.
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