Republicans face brutal midterm headwinds. Six forces could help them defy history.

Fox News outlined six factors that could help Republicans defy historical trends and hold their House and Senate majorities in November's midterms, with Election Day six weeks away and early voting already underway in some states. The president's party has traditionally lost congressional seats in midterms, and the GOP also faces high grocery and gas prices, an unpopular war with Iran, and President Donald Trump's underwater approval ratings. Democrats face their own troubles, including an ideological split between the party's left wing and its establishment, a weak brand image, and being outspent by Republicans on advertising.

One major factor is fuel prices, which have risen as fighting continues in the Middle East and Ukraine and as Russia's diesel industry comes under attack; AAA put the national gas average near $4.50 a gallon and diesel above $6.50. Polls show cost of living as voters' top concern, turning an issue that helped Trump and Republicans in 2024 into a 2026 liability. Trump posted on social media Monday that prices, including gas, were far higher under former President Joe Biden. Republicans blame the Biden administration, but polling suggests voters increasingly hold the current administration responsible. Democrats pushed back after Trump remarked that the run-up in fuel costs was worth paying given the results of strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. A Fox News poll found voters trust Democrats more on inflation by a wide margin, though Reuters/Ipsos and NBC News surveys showed the parties tied on the broader economy.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →