Trump is trying out a new pitch ahead of what’s expected to be a hectic 32 days of travel as Republicans confront voters' unhappiness with an unpopular president. If only, Trump laments, the American people knew just how well the country was doing.  

“We’re doing an extremely poor job of promotion and an extremely great job of running the country,” he told a White House gathering on Wednesday.  

He posted similar sentiments on Truth Social twice more during the week. The best person to carry that message, he has decided, is Trump himself. “I thought I was finished campaigning,” he joked to the crowd in the East Room of the White House.   

Republicans are fanning out across battleground states armed with promises on utility bills, manufacturing jobs and economic growth. But this close to Election Day, and with seemingly winnable races slipping further to the left, are voters still listening?  

While the nation is near full employment and economic growth is strong, opinion polls show that Americans are struggling with the high cost of living and growing weary of the war against Iran, which has driven energy prices up and further squeezed household budgets. At the same time, Republicans are losing support in key constituencies of the coalition that returned Trump to the White House. 

Republicans return to voters with few major legislative accomplishments to celebrate, though tax cuts on tips, overtime and some Social Security benefits led to larger tax refunds for many Americans this year.

Senate Republicans sought for weeks to pass legislation aimed at preventing AI data center construction from driving up household electricity bills, but the measure stalled, joining a string of election-year proposals derailed by Democratic opposition and Republican divisions.

The White House spent this week touting new initiatives in states where Republicans now face unexpectedly competitive races. Trump unveiled a new steel mill project in Iowa and plans for an Alaska fossil fuel pipeline.  

He’s off to Oklahoma and Alabama on Thursday and Friday, using rallies in safe Republican states to boost campaigns nationwide and reach voters in nearby competitive regions through local media coverage. 

But some Republican candidates and voters are breaking with Trump on some of his signature issues that have proven politically contentious, including the Iran war, data centers, and the crackdown on illegal migration.  

Trump, whose administration is running government-funded Trump-centric ads appealing to Americans to “love me,” appeared to acknowledge the challenge on Thursday, urging voters to look past their feelings about him and focus instead on the Republican agenda.   

“Even if you don’t like somebody so much, it doesn’t matter. It’s a vote for good things,” he said, encouraging supporters once again to pretend that he is on the ballot.  

Follow Reuters/Ipsos polling on the president's approval ratings here.

How have redistricting and gerrymandering affected the 2026 electoral map, and which maps or election practices are currently facing legal challenges? 

Answer by Joseph Ax, General News Correspondent in New York  

Nine states have new US House maps in place after the redistricting war that unfolded over the last year. Republicans were the clear winners: the party gained an advantage in 15 districts across those states, while Democrats improved their chances in only six districts. However, Democrats remain favored to win the House, with Trump’s weak approval ratings dragging down his party’s candidates. 

There are about 40 seats in play in November out of 435 nationwide, meaning that a small fraction of voters will likely determine which party controls the House.

While some of the maps still face legal challenges, none of the litigation appears likely to alter any district lines ahead of November’s election.