Trump foreign focus may hurt midterms
Democrats continue to focus on affordability
By: Josey Garrison
USA Today
WASHINGTON - Even before the united States seized control of Venezuela and ousted its leader, some of President Donald Trump's allies worried he was giving too much attention abroad while Americans made clear that their top concern was the economy and cost of living at home.
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Now, following the capture of Nicolas Maduro, Trump is already talking about other foreign objectives.
..... While Trump says the United States will "run" Venezuela and tap the country's vast oil supply, he's warned that Cuba is on the verge of collapsing next; threatening military intervention in Colombia; and renewed his call for the United States to seize Greenland, which is part of Denmark. He's even given his foreign policy a name, the "Monroe Doctrine," a re-branding of the early 19th century's Monroe Doctrine.
..... Add it all up and it risk undercutting Trump's push to regain Americans' trust on the economy by handing Democrats a new line for the midterm elections - namely, that Trump and Republicans are fixated on oil and American imperialism, rather than on the checking accounts of rank-and-file U.S. citizens.
..... "The American people reject the possibility of another unjustified foreign war that seems to be on the horizon because of Trump's desire to reward Big Oil in the United States of America - while continuing to not do a damn thing to make life better for the American people," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York said January 5. [2026]
..... The White House has argued the military's January 3 [2026] operation demonstrated the power of the United States abroad. trump officials have also worked to put Democrats on defense by emphasizing that Maduro's leadership was widely condemned by both parties. Former President Joe Biden put a $25 million bounty on Maduro for information leading to his arrest.
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Trump has routinely slammed the concept of nation building and criticize previous presidents for entangling the United States in foreign affairs. Yet the president rejected any suggestion that the action in Venezuela betrays his mantra of "American first," arguing that seizing Venezuelan oil is critical for American interests.
..... "We want to surround ourselves with energy," Trump said during his initial news conference on the Venezuela operation. "We have tremendous energy in that country. It's very important that we protect it. We ened that for ourselves. We need that for the world."
..... A new poll form Reuters/Ipsos, however, found only one in three Americans approve of the U.S. military strike on Venezuela and that 73% worry the United States will become too involved in the country. Just 23% of independent voters, a voting block that will be critical to the outcome of the midterm races, said they support the actions in Venezuela.
..... Meanwhile, Gallup found Trump's approval rating stood at 36% in December [2025] with only 24% of Americans saying they are satisfied with the state of his economy. Fifty-seven percent of Americans disapproved of trump's handling of the economy, according to a PBS News/NPR.Marist poll in December. [2025]
..... "The American public odes not want their boys and girls from Florida, from Nebraska, from Arizona to go fight for Big Oil," Senator Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, said January 5 [2026] on MS NOW's "Morning Joe."
..... "How is that going to bring the cost of living down? How is that going to help me buy a house? How is that going to help my kid who just graduated college get a job?" Gallego said.
..... Democrats used affordability as their underlying campaign message en route to over-performing in special House elections across the country in 2025 and producing double-digit wins in the off-year gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. It's expected to be the centerpiece of Democrats' message in the 2026 midterm races as they look to take control of the House and Senate.
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"The economy, and particularly inflation and the growth of the economy, are still likely to be the dominant issues," said Whit Ayres, a longtime Republican strategist and president of North Star Opinion Research. "But whether that indeed occurs depends upon how these other foreign interventions work out. if you end up in a shooting war with some other country, It's going to be very different."
..... Ayres said Democrats will try to make the argument that he is distracted" by his administration's ventures in Venezuela and beyond, "but if the inflation comes down and the economy gets going, that's not going to work."
..... Americans' gloomy outlook on the economy - despite inflation being down from the post-pandemic peak under Biden - prompted Trump to kick off a speaking tour in December [2025] that began with rallies in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Trump has called affordability a "hoax" pushed by Democrats, who he said are to blame for soaring inflation during Biden;s presidency.
..... In an 84-minute address to House Republicans during a January 6 [2026] party retreat, Trump touted a record-high stock market, strengthening 401(k) retirement plans and his efforts to bring down the price of drugs through a new "most favored Nation"
policy. Trump also urged Republicans to run on tax cuts and other measures in his "One Big Beautiful Bill" law that pasted last year. [2025]
..... "You have so much ammunition. All you have to do is sell it," Trump said, telling his Republican allies, "You got to win the midterms. Because if we don't win the midterms, it's just going to be - they'll find a reason to impeach me. I'll get impeached."
..... Trump also pointed to the long history of the party of a sitting president often losing midterm races, calling it an "amazing phenomenon" in his remarks to House Republicans. He also acknowledged his sagging poll numbers.
..... I wish you could explain to me what the he'll's going on with the mind of the public. because we have the right policy," Trump said to the crowd at the Kennedy Center. "They don't," he added, referring to Democrats. "They have horrible policy."