Trump turns to the politics of fear as GOP hopes darken

With Republican prospects for the midterms fading, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are sharpening personal and ethnic attacks on Democratic Senate hopefuls. CNN reports that Trump has ridiculed Michigan candidate Abdul El-Sayed by calling him "Mohammed" and a jihadist, while Vance mocked Texas nominee James Talarico in a way that implied he is gay and labeled him a freak. Trump has also cast Talarico as a vegan out of step with Texas, and has again suggested Haitians and Africans are flooding into states such as Ohio. After federal agents searched the home of Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Trump questioned whether a naturalized citizen from her birth country has constitutional rights.

CNN's analysis ties the tone to weak Republican standing. Its poll of polls puts Trump's approval at 33% roughly three weeks before the November 3 election, and majorities blame his decisions for pricier food, housing and fuel. Republicans are also campaigning in red states they had not expected to defend. The attacks on Talarico may divert attention from Ken Paxton, the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general whom Trump personally picked as the party's nominee.

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