Although he wrote and has lived his life by the “Art of the Deal,” Donald Trump faces a giant hurdle in trying to persuade voters to keep his party in control of Washington.
asserted
Trump → write → Washington
Over the next month, he must successfully sell the idea that his presidency has been a big success, and that he needs a Republican congress to help him finish the job.
asserted
he → sell → job
Midterm elections commonly spell trouble for the occupant of the White House, but Trump’s challenge is far from ordinary.
asserted
challenge → spell → House
With his personal popularity sagging and his party a decided underdog in swing districts and states, the president must move mountains of voters and do it quickly.
Election Day on Nov. 3 is approaching on the fast track, and the urgency is compounded because nearly all states allow some form of early voting.
asserted
states → sag → voting
Showing that he realizes his political life and legacy are on the line, the president plans to spend most of October barnstorming America, with reports saying he aims to visit at least 10 states.
asserted
he → show → states
The scale of the challenge is indicated by the fact that his first stops were in Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama — states that are usually reliably red, but are not yet secured this year.
asserted
that → indicate → Texas
The extended tour is unusual, but Trump has little choice.
asserted
Trump → have → choice
With polls and betting markets predicting Dems will win majorities in both the House and Senate, the president’s final two years in office will be the stuff of nightmares unless he can engineer a stunning comeback.
asserted
he → predict → comeback
Otherwise, we know what the template of failure looks like — the second half of his first term.
asserted
template → know → term
After Dems won a House majority in 2018 and made Nancy Pelosi Speaker, she orchestrated investigations of nearly every breath the president took and every dollar he spent.
asserted
he → win → breath
Thanks to the help of leftist partisans carrying media credentials and a corrupt deep state, she turned the Russia-gate hoax into an impeachment farce.
asserted
she → carry → farce
A similar fate would be certain to befall the president again, with Dems now largely running on a “Get Trump” platform.
asserted
Dems → befall → platform
Under the sway of burn-it-down radicals, their agenda ranges from more impeachment to imposing sky-high taxes on families and businesses, demonizing Israel and re-opening borders to all comers.
asserted
agenda → burn → comers
Trump knows as much, but his schedule shows he believes voters can be persuaded that he and the GOP congress have earned the right to stay the course.
asserted
he → know → course
In important ways, the president has a strong case, but the success of his travels and rallies will depend on how persuasively he makes that case.
asserted
he → have → case
With the Real Clear Politics average of polls showing he has an approval rating of just 38%, compared with 60% disapproval, he faces a steep climb.
asserted
he → show → climb
Inflation is still driving up prices, and most Americans are giving Trump poor grades on the economy.
asserted
Americans → drive → economy
Majorities are also tired of the war in Iran, so how the president makes his final pitch could be the deciding factor in November.
uncertain
makes → make → November
One hurdle is that he has fallen into the trap of telling people how great everything is when their day-to-day experiences, especially when it comes to rising prices, are telling them something very different.
asserted
it → fall → something
The message that all is well was a bust when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris tried it in 2024, and it’s not working any better for Trump.
asserted
it → try → Trump
An alternative approach, even at this late hour, would be to acknowledge public concerns and explain why he believes he and a GOP congress will achieve widely beneficial victories.
asserted
he → acknowledge → victories
To judge from comments he made at the White House on Thursday, the president is not yet ready to go there.
asserted
president → judge → Thursday
“I give us an A+ on the government, on economics, on everything” he said, according to Politico.
uncertain
he → give → Politico
An AP-NORC poll found just 26% approve of his handling of the economy, with a mere 17% happy with how he has managed the cost of living.
asserted
he → find → living
More alarming, a whopping 65% told pollsters White House policies are contributing to price hikes on everyday goods.
asserted
policies → tell → goods
Countering that sentiment is difficult, but it is essential to highlight economic success stories.
asserted
it → counter → stories
The Census Bureau reports that median household income is the highest on record at $87,400.
asserted
income → report → 87,400
Similarly, The Wall Street Journal reports that the 4.2% unemployment rate is “at a historically low level that indicates the labor market remains generally healthy.
asserted
market → report → level
Stock markets have soared as many businesses have reported record earnings, with the S&P 500 gaining 37% since Trump’s reelection.
asserted
businesses → soar → reelection
Weaving these accomplishments together while also recognizing that many families feel left out is difficult, but the effort is essential.
asserted
effort → weave → accomplishments
Charting when and why the tide will change and lift all boats would give voters concrete reasons to stick with the team in place.
asserted
tide → chart → place
Railing against the polls as being biased won’t work, nor will boasts that the nation is living in a golden age of peace and prosperity.
asserted
nation → rail → peace
Ditto for promoting grand Washington construction projects, whether it be an expanded White House ballroom or an Arch of Triumph armed with snipers and drones.
asserted
it → promote → snipers
They are not likely to win over disillusioned voters, especially those troubled by Trump family members taking financial advantage of the presidency.
asserted
They → win → presidency
As for Iran, many Americans no doubt forget his patient efforts to negotiate a treaty for the mullahs to voluntarily give up their nuclear weapons project.
asserted
mullahs → forget → project
The regime’s refusal to even consider the idea led to the US and Israeli attacks that, I continue to believe, were fully justified.
asserted
I → consider → attacks
Also absent so far in the president’s election-year pitch is the working-class appeal that lifted him to a smashing victory over Harris two years ago.
asserted
that → work → Harris
Two October events in the ’24 race still stand out as hilarious and wildly effective.
asserted
events → stand → race
In the first, Trump spent 30 minutes working in a McDonald’s outside Philadelphia.
asserted
Trump → spend → Philadelphia
He wore a store apron over his suit and learned how to prepare french fries and handed bags of them to cars from a drive-through window.
asserted
He → wear → window
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
