The election is approaching, but Trump is not concerned about the economy, and the Republican Party is a bit anxious!

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With only six months left until the 2026 midterm elections, Trump's attention has clearly shifted away from economic issues toward election conspiracies, personal grievances, and foreign policy, fueling rising concerns within the Republican Party.

The latest national economic survey published by CNBC shows that 60% of respondents were dissatisfied with Trump's economic policies in the first quarter of 2026. Additionally, according to a Xinhua News Agency report on Thursday, a new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released on the 21st shows that, due to factors such as military action against Iran and poor performance on economic issues, Trump's approval rating has dropped to 33%, 5 percentage points lower than in March. The majority of respondents believe the United States is heading in the wrong direction.

After the outbreak of war with Iran, U.S. oil prices have surged, intensifying economic pressures on daily life, while Trump's public statements are seriously out of touch with people's real experiences. According to Xinhua News Agency, U.S. President Trump made it clear on the 22nd that there is "no timetable" for ending the conflict with Iran. This statement has further reinforced market expectations of a prolonged conflict.

This situation worries some Republicans that the party's long-held advantage on economic issues is quietly slipping away. Meanwhile, the Democrats are seizing this window of opportunity, bringing economic issues back into their campaign narrative and attempting to replicate the Republican party’s previous aggressive strategy.

Trump’s Attention: From the Economy to UFC and the Pope

Within just four days at the beginning of this month, Trump posted intensively on his Truth Social account, covering topics from his vision for the Arc de Triomphe, White House banquet hall construction, the Iran war, a White House UFC combat event, to comments on American rock legend Bruce Springsteen’s suspected plastic surgery. He also posted (and later deleted) an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus and publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV for "needing to pull himself together," use common sense, stop catering to the radical left, and focus on being a great Pope rather than a politician."

Economic issues were almost entirely absent from these posts.

Anti-Trump former Republican strategist Mike Murphy bluntly stated: "Trump’s initial deal with the American people was—'I’m a rough guy, sometimes embarrassing, but I know how to manage the economy.' People believed this because they remembered things were decent economically in 2016."

Even when Trump occasionally mentions the economy, his statements are far removed from the public's lived experiences. He recently claimed oil prices "aren’t very high," but according to AAA data, current oil prices are up 27% from a year ago; he has also called living costs “a Democratic scam.”

Democrats Seize the Moment to Reverse the Economic Narrative

White House spokesperson Kush Desai denied that Republicans have lost their edge on economic issues. He stated that Trump is capable of "multitasking," listing several executive orders signed by Trump on housing affordability, the "TrumpRx" prescription drug discount plan, and the historic tax rebate checks issued to tens of millions of Americans through the 2025 tax and spending bill (the "big beautiful bill").

However, the Democrats clearly see things differently. Casey Burgat, Director of Legislative Affairs Program at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, noted that Democrats are regaining the narrative initiative on economic issues. "I think Democrats’ reflective postmortem told them they had been out of touch, unable to explain people’s real kitchen-table experiences," he said. "But now the tables have turned, and Trump is the one who has to answer for it. What was once his sharpest weapon against the Biden administration is now his biggest weakness."

Tré Easton, Vice President of Public Policy at the Searchlight Institute and former aide to Senator John Fetterman, also pointed out, "There is ample evidence that the economy and cost of living are the top concerns for most voters, especially swing voters dissatisfied with both candidates."

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin was more direct: "Americans simply can't afford Trump’s America. In contrast, Democrats are focused on lowering costs and curbing political corruption. Our candidates are committed to the issues that matter most to voters."

Inside the Republican Party: Self-Inflicted Wounds and Departures

The anxiety within the Republican Party is not just driven by outside criticism; some members have openly expressed their dissatisfaction.

Nebraska Republican Congressman Don Bacon—who had clashed openly with Trump on tariff issues and has announced his retirement at the end of this term—called some of the missteps "own goals" in an interview, saying "some of the self-inflicted wounds are entirely unnecessary."

He also questioned the prioritization of certain party topics: "Things like the SAVE Act (a voter ID bill heavily promoted by Trump) are very appealing to the base, but the independent swing voters we must win in November aren’t buying it. Threatening Canada, threatening Greenland, targeting NATO—all that stuff, I think a lot of the people who voted for us see these things and aren't satisfied."

The data is also alarming: 38 Republican members of the House have announced they will not seek re-election, compared to just 23 Democrats. Bacon suggested that some of these departures may reflect a sense of foreboding within the party.

Republican Confidence and Underlying Worries

Still, the Republican camp has not yet entered full panic mode. A Republican campaign operative, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that voters' final judgment on the Republican handling of the economy will depend greatly on when the Iran war ends and whether oil prices drop.

"Maybe the economy is one area where we’ve slipped a bit... but the Democrats haven’t surpassed us," he said. "On the campaign level, we haven’t really hit the panic button. There are countless news cycles between now and Election Day—I don’t believe oil prices will still be a major issue by then."

He added a final word: "Hopefully."

Democrats also face their own challenges—a new poll shows their support level is about equal to the Republicans’, so the path to rebranding is hardly smooth. But as retirement waves sweep the GOP and economic dissatisfaction spreads, the outcome of the 2026 midterms is becoming ever harder to predict.

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