Trump’s first midterm pits a booming economy against one of history’s most unpopular presidents

The midterm election now just over eight weeks away is shaping up as a seismic collision between two powerful and competing forces, a rip-roaring national economy and a deeply polarizing and unpopular president. At stake on Nov. 6 is not just control of Congress but the fate of President Trump […] Read more »

Gallup podcast: McCain, Mueller, midterms and more

President Donald Trump often refers to polls, but just how accurate are his tweets about them? What will have a larger effect on midterm election outcomes — presidential approval or economic confidence? How many Democrats react positively when they hear the word “socialism”? Frank Newport and Gallup Senior Editor Lydia […] Read more »

NBC/Marist poll: Democrat Joe Donnelly has slight edge in Indiana Senate race

Democratic Senate incumbent Joe Donnelly has a slight advantage over Republican challenger Mike Braun in Indiana’s closely-watched Senate contest, according to a new NBC News/Marist poll. … Donnelly, a low-key freshman senator in a state that voted for President Donald Trump by nearly 20 points, has long been considered one […] Read more »

Why red and blue states divide over green policy

President Donald Trump’s drive to rescind the federal efforts to combat global climate change is highlighting another chasm between Republican- and Democratic-leaning states. … In the presidential Electoral College and the Senate, Republicans rely overwhelmingly on the states most tightly bound to the fossil fuel economy — as producers, consumers […] Read more »