Trump thought his biggest political trick made him invincible. Not anymore.

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/10/21/trump-political-playbook-corruption-may-cost-gop-midterms/

For the past decade, President Donald Trump has operated as if he discovered the political cheat code to winning elections: entertain the base and feed it red meat. He’s so certain of the formula that he’s bragged it makes him invincible. In 2016, he claimed he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue without losing voters. Earlier this month in Tennessee, he told a partially empty arena of MAGA faithful, “I could say the stupidest things and you’d clap.” The crowd roared with laughter and applause.

As the midterms approach, Trump’s luck is running out. His approval rating has hit a record low, with just one-third of adults saying he’s doing a good job. The incumbent president’s party almost always loses House seats, a trend usually exacerbated by a weak economy or an unpopular executive; in Trump’s first midterm, Republicans lost 41 seats, though the economy was chugging along.

It’s bad advice this year. Early voting is underway, and voters’ top concern apparently isn’t inflation or health care; it’s government corruption, according to a Fox News poll. A record-high 89 percent of Americans believe corruption is widespread in government, an increase of 30 points since 2006. And Trump gets the blame: An overwhelming majority of adults believe he prioritizes his business interests over the country and ordinary Americans. Nearly 60 percent think he’s done something illegal or unethical in the process. Voters expect politicians to maneuver for political advantage, but using elected office to get filthy rich doesn’t play well. In a democracy, casting a ballot in high-stakes elections should empower voters, not make them feel like easy marks. When that happens, the majority party pays.