Representative Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, U.S., on Monday, November 3, 2025.
Aaron Schwartz | Bloomberg | getty images
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Thursday that Republicans could still win the majority in the 2026 midterm elections despite intense party headwinds ahead of key November contests.
Polling suggests voters are angry at President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans ahead of the election, driven primarily by dissatisfaction with the economy. a fresh AP-NORC Poll found that Trump’s approval rating on the economy has fallen to 30%, with 70% disapproving of the president’s job performance.
There is a lot at stake in the election and it will effectively determine whether Trump enters 2027 as a lame duck with a Democratic Congress or maintains a Republican governing majority for the final two years of his presidency.
Scalise argued in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday that Republicans could still weather the storm caused by skyrocketing prices caused by a war with Iran.
“This is a path that’s focused on turnout, number one, and delivering on what we’ve delivered and finally starting to clean up this mess that we inherited a year and a half ago,” Scalise said.
Americans are facing higher gas prices due to the war with Iran ahead of the summer driving season, which is showing few signs of easing. We crude oil As of Thursday morning, gas prices are now averaging $4.30 per gallon, hovering around $105 nationally. aaa. Voters have also repeatedly upset Trump and Republicans on the cost of living, with Democrats winning key off-year elections in 2025 on the affordability message.
Scalise also attacked Democrats for opposing funding to the Department of Homeland Security, arguing that Republicans won on immigration in 2024 and could win again in 2026.
“Midterms are always tough for the incumbent party, but this is not your father’s Democrat Party,” Scalise said. “Democrats in Washington have voted against those measures every step of the way, including now shutting down the entire Department of Homeland Security. At the end of the day, it’s not good for them… so they’ll have to answer for it in November.”
Democrats have opposed funding DHS following the deaths of two US citizens as a result of Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Trump’s approval also dropped in an AP-NORC survey on immigration, with only 40% of voters approving.
With a lead of about 5.2 percentage points, Democrats are favored to take the House in November RealClear Politics General Ballot Average. Republicans have a five-seat majority, increasing from three seats following the resignations and deaths of Democratic House members.
However, the Senate will be an uphill climb for Democrats, as the party will need to overcome a difficult map this cycle. Democrats need to flip at least four states while retaining all the seats they currently hold to change the balance of power in the upper chamber.
A recent Wolfe Research report obtained by CNBC said, “This is a tall order, especially as Republicans currently enjoy a major fundraising advantage, and we expect the Dems to fall short, and end up with 49-50 seats. Our base case is that Republicans will retain control of the Senate.”
– CNBC michael bloom Contributed to this report.
