Iran war weighs on Republicans ahead of US midterm elections

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — The war in Iran has become a political liability for the U.S. Republican Party ahead of November's midterm elections, as the conflict enters its sixth month and fuel and living costs rise, Bloomberg reported. Republican strategists said the prolonged fighting has placed President Donald Trump and the party before a difficult electoral test, after Trump initially projected that operations would last four or five weeks. With Republicans working to preserve their majorities in Congress, Democrats see an opening to reclaim seats in the House and Senate by focusing on living costs and the administration's falling approval ratings. Poll figures cited in the report showed Republican support for the operations slipping from 77% in March to 69% in August, with Trump's approval rating standing at 33%. The Cook Political Report on August 20 reclassified Senate races in Texas and Iowa as competitive, a sign that contests in states Republicans had viewed as safe are tightening. Within the party, concern is growing that the war is turning into an economic issue, with gasoline prices and the cost of living now overshadowing battlefield developments. Republican leaders have avoided openly challenging Trump on the conflict, the report added.