Trump advisers fear GOP midterm losses as gas prices spike

White House officials have privately discussed their concerns about recent internal and public polling on the economy and President Trump and have been trying to drum up new strategies to prevent GOP losses in the midterm elections, sources briefed on the conversations told CBS News.

Senior aides, including chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff James Blair, regularly brief the president on the latest polling on voter sentiment.

A central focus is the dissatisfaction of independent voters, whose economic angst has risen since the president's tariffs triggered global economic uncertainty and gas prices began to spike as a result of the U.S. military action against Iran.

On Tuesday, gasoline prices in the U.S. topped $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022, according to AAA. Several officials concede there will be Republican losses in the midterms if they don't turn around the trending numbers.

A Republican source says the House will be difficult for the GOP, but Republicans expect to retain control of the Senate.

CBS News' recent polling found Mr. Trump's approval rating among independents is 31%, with 69% who disapprove.

Wiles has repeatedly asked administration officials for ideas for initiatives to lower costs, an ongoing directive since the beginning of Mr. Trump's second administration.

"When Operation Epic Fury is complete, gas prices will plummet back to the multi-year lows American drivers enjoyed before these short-term disruptions," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Tuesday.

White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement that the president "has always been clear about short-term disruptions as a result of Operation Epic Fury, and the Administration has had a plan in place to mitigate these disruptions while continuing to restore long-term working-class prosperity by implementing the President's proven economic agenda of tax cuts, deregulation, and energy abundance."

Desai also pointed to the president's "multiple executive orders on housing affordability" and cited TrumpRx.gov and other initiatives, such as not taxing tips or overtime and Trump accounts for children as part of the administration's efforts to ease financial pressure on Americans.

The latest CBS News poll found the majority of Americans say gas prices in their area are going up, which is fueling negative feelings about the economy. Fears of a recession have ticked slightly higher, with a third of Americans now bracing for a recession in the next year.

Sixty-seven percent of Americans say they are unwilling to pay more at the pump during the conflict in Iran.

The poll found Mr. Trump's overall approval rating to be virtually unchanged since before the start of the Iran conflict. It has been at 40% or in the low 40s for many months, and he continues to draw strong backing from Republicans. His disapproval rating sits at 60%.

Polling averages show that Mr. Trump is at his lowest approval rating of his second administration with an average approval rating of just 41%, according to Real Clear Polling.

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