Trump’s increasingly alarming behavior will prove ‘fake’ polls are on the money

President Donald Trump is dismissing weak survey numbers as the midterms approach, even as forecasters increasingly favor Democrats to win the Senate. On Truth Social Sunday, he said polls have always undercounted his movement and cited a McLaughlin & Associates result of 49 percent approval, repeating a claim from strategist Dick Morris. The Independent reports that the firm's late-September survey for Newsmax actually found 48 percent, though 13 percent of that number were people who dislike Trump but like his policies. It also had Republicans behind on the congressional ballot, 48 percent to 43 percent. Other surveys since mid-September place him between 34 and 42 percent.

In Oklahoma, Trump conceded concern about Michigan and Texas while calling unfavorable polls fake. Forecasters are less dismissive: FiftyPlusOne gives Democrats seven-in-ten odds of taking the Senate, and Race to the White House puts their chances at 72 percent. Sabato's Crystal Ball still leans Democratic, with five toss-ups.

Republican candidates appear uneasy. Leaked audio reportedly caught Ken Paxton saying Trump's Dallas convention hurt him. A New York Times/Siena poll has James Talarico ahead in Texas and Mary Peltola up seven points on Dan Sullivan in Alaska, while Abdul El-Sayed leads Mike Rogers in Michigan.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →