Trump Heads To Texas As Iran War Weighs On GOP

President Donald Trump travels to Texas this week for a midterm campaign visit, arriving as Republican strategists privately say the war with Iran is damaging the party's effort to retain control of Congress. Trump has often described the conflict as a "little detour." Gasoline price increases tied to the hostilities are driving up costs, according to those strategists.

In Texas, Senate candidate Ken Paxton is running close against Democrat James Talarico. Secretary of State Marco Trump will appear with the president to display a newly arrived oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude for processing at Texas refineries, according to a congressional aide and two U.S. officials.

Voters in Ohio describe the pressure. Noor Dubow, 44, a dispatcher at a trucking logistics firm in Columbus, Ohio, said he has regularly voted for Republicans who align with his economic views. He said his early midterm ballot leaned more toward Democrats because of frustration with the Iran war. "Where are the Republicans in Congress?" Dubow said. "Why aren't the Republicans holding Trump accountable?"

Campaign spending is running at a record pace. AdImpact, which tracks media spending, reported that midterm campaign ad spending reached $11.21 billion, above the $11.20 billion spent in the 2023-2024 period that included the presidential contest. The figure has not been adjusted for inflation.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is directing late campaign money to Senate races in Republican-leaning states. His Ready for the Fight PAC is spending $1 million on an ad buy for Scott Colom against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi and $500,000 for Adam Hamilton against GOP incumbent Roger Marshall in Kansas. The plan also covers voter turnout work in Mississippi and South Carolina, where Democrat Annie Andrews is challenging Sen. Darline Graham.

Two former FBI officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, are charged with lying to Congress about investigations involving Hunter Biden. Their lawyers call the charges baseless and politically motivated. A preliminary hearing is set for Tuesday.

Trump said he will appeal a federal judge's order that temporarily holds his plans to renovate the East Potomac Golf Course in Washington. Judge Ana Reyes' preliminary injunction bars further removal or damage of trees on the course and requires 10 days' written notice before any "irreparable modification" to the course's "forms or features."