Trump and The Midterms.

Alex Skelley

The man might be the most controversial, polarizing figure since Jesus Christ. Sorry, that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but it stems from truth. Along with this polarization, he’s also a very accomplished man. A billionaire, real estate tycoon, and the 45th president of this United States, Donald Trump certainly has a lot of achievements to his name.

(Picture: John Takai)

Holding the most powerful job in the world, comes with much exposure and influence. You probably already have a strong opinion on him, and if you’re a senior, you may be able to put these opinions into action in the upcoming midterm elections, which are the congressional elections that happen halfway through a president’s term. Just like you, hundreds of millions of Americans who have come to their own strong opinions will be able to vote in these elections, and the presidents policies and personality will have a big effect on the outcome.

When talking about Donald Trump, you have to talk about his strong “I don’t care what you think” attitude. The man will basically say whatever he wants to with no filter for controversial statements. His controversial statements include, but are not limited to, calling Haiti an obscene name, bashing of CNN as fake news, and insulting and offending countless celebrities and politicians. These comments and controversies will register with different demographics differently, especially among those of different ages. Younger voters, and especially Millennials, are often turned off of supporting the president and his party due to these rude and controversial comments, even if they agree with some of his policies. In fact, in a January poll by NBC news, 63% of Millennials said they somewhat or strongly disapprove of President Trump, while only 19% of Millennials said they somewhat or strongly approve of him.

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In contrast, older voters who grew up in a time before political correctness are far more likely to relate to his personality, or not even care about it. Also older voters tend to be more concerned with policy, while for younger people, the image of the president is what’s top priority. A CNN poll in May has put these older voters (ages 50-64) at a 48% approval rating of the president. In a country where these older generations are dying out, and younger voters are coming in, the president’s behavior could certainly drive young conservatives to not vote, or even vote against candidates that he supports.

Among age, another demographic that will be heavily divided is gender. With his frowned upon treatment of women, views on abortion, and scandals, it’s not surprising to see that in a May pole by Pew Research Center, while 48% of men strongly approve of him, only 30% of women held the same view. The above factors that I mentioned have combined to bring the president’s approval rating among women to this low level. With women making up 50% of the US population, it seems like politicians in the republican party, who are running in the midterm elections  endorsed by Trump, are in trouble of losing votes from women.

The last important way  President Trump may affect the midterms is with the success of his policy. Despite the views on his personality, his policies have garnered a decent amount of success. While the last 2 ways are how he could have a negative effect on his party, this one is his potential positive effect. With the economy booming, the stock market having reached record highs, peace steadily growing with North Korea, and unemployment levels plunging, people are growing happier and more confident with the state of the union.

 

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With many more people starting to attribute these successes to our president’s policies, they are beginning to want the policies to continue. To ensure this, many more people may vote in favor of the presidents party, as to allow him to continue his agenda.

You may love his America First mindset and his careless attitude, or you may think he’s reckless and bigoted. You may like or dislike his policies. Either way you may sway, these factors will heavily affect the outcome of the elections, and ultimately the future of the United States.